Zero War The Long War
by bluerockmen
Summary: A guardsman runs for his life trying to escape the unimaginable horrors after him until he sees a portal open up in front of him, with nothing to lose, he jumps into it.
1. Chapter 1

**The Long War Chapter 1 version 1.1**

**Chapter 1.2 am sure that I found all the spelling mistakes or at least I think I did.**

**Chapter 1.3 thanks Rimshooter for pointing these out I thought I got them all. Damn.**

**Chapter 1.4 Ok, this is the new and better version of the chapter, it has been beta read by the new guy and so hopefully all the mistake or at least most of them have been fixed. Also in regards to the next update for this story, it will be at the end of the month so expect it around the start of march, sorry.**

Zero War – The Long War Chapter 1

A little girl with pink hair waited and waited until it was her turn to summon forth her familiar, as today was her day! It was her day to prove that she was a noble! That she was no commoner! That she wasn't Louise the zero! After all, her family belonged to the nobility and so logic said that she too should be able to perform magic. Once she summoned her familiar, then she'll prove to everyone that she isn't Louise the zero and they will have to stop. And thus, when the professor informed her class that they will be summoning familiars today, she froze in excitement.

So since then she had been waiting anxiously for this moment, for her chance to summon her familiar, but it was madding, she thought, waiting in line for her turn while watching everyone else summon their familiar, one by one.

She just couldn't content herself waiting, yet as she did, her mind wandered. She began to think about the possibility of the various familiars that she could possibly summon. It could be anything in the world for all she knew! After all, she'd seen her classmates summon a mole, a frog, a fire salamander, and even a dragon! Of all the familiars possible, a dragon! This did not bear any good news for her mind, as her imagination took hold and grew while the line inched forward bringing her closer to the front.

By the time it was her turn, her mind had long wandered into la-la land, daydreaming about the possibilities. Could it be a dragon like Tabitha's familiar or maybe it could be a salamander like the rival of she-who-must-not-be-named? It didn't matter, she thought, she just wanted it to be her turn, so she could prove once and for all that she wasn't a zero. And so her mind continued on its journey through la-la land while her classmates watched and waited for her to respond.

"Ms. Valliere, if you don't mind it's your turn to summon your familiar." Informed Professor Colbert Jean, unfortunately he had to inform her twice before she was slapped out of la-la land. Shaking her head clear, she took a step forward, and prepared to summon her familiar. Once she was done preparing, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes to focus better, but that was when her ears picked up her classmates mumbled commentary.

"She's going to fail." someone said; another said, "it's going to blow up and kill us all." another said, fear clearly in their voice, "Yep, we should go to the back, the further back we are the better chance we got of surviving." "Yep" another agreed, followed by the sound of movement. "Maybe we should go too, yep." someone else said followed by more movement. "We're going to need a long shower after this, damn." a female voice said with contempt, but the single voice which stood out the most was Kirche who said,"Ahh come on Valliere just get it over with, you're bound to fail or worse kill us all."

This was followed by the sound of her rival loud laugher and it only got worst as the effects of her hush words become evident in her body, with her hands tightening into iron balls and turn white. The little pink haired girl forced her temper down before she lost control and brought her mind back to the task at hand. This was the moment she'd been waiting for since last week. This was her moment to prove herself, to prove that she's a noble. So there was no way she was going to let their words get to her, not now when she was so close to proving herself. So she blocked out their words and focused. She began to chant the words for her summoning.

"My name is Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere. A pentagon of the five elemental powers," a five point star twisted into shape around her while the ground began to shine - "Heed my summoning". The wind increased and the five point star increased in brightness until it reached the point that it blind both teacher and students alike. "And bring forth my familiar!" she said, and with a swish of her wand the final words of the summoning ritual left her mouth, the spell exploded in her face, throwing her flat on her back along with the professor and the rest of her classmates, who hadn't moved back far enough. Those closest to the explosion were thrown the farthest, namely Louise and the professor, while her classmates were less affected. But everyone found themselves covered in falling rubble, and unable to see anything through the thick dust cloud.

"See what a good thing it was we stayed back." Someone said, "She almost killed us again." Another said, "She shouldn't be with us here, she isn't even a noble." "Damn right, she isn't", someone else agreed. "This screw up only proves that she's nothing more than a commoner, just like the rest of them low lives." Someone said. "Let's head back to the castle before she kills us when she tries again." someone else said, "Yep, let's head back before that hairless bastard gives her another chance." The comment was followed by the mumbled agreement of most of the little pink girl's classmates. The professor heard the last comment and considered stopping them but he didn't because they had a point. So in the end, the only students left were Tabitha, Kirche, and the professor. As the dust began to settle, the rest of the classmates headed back to the academy as fast as possible.

As for the little girl, she recovered first and, to be honest, she didn't feel good. She had hoped that today was the day that she could prove both to herself and her classmates that she was like them, a noble. But she could see it all, her future and her dreams were all gone. She was truly Louise the zero. She was no noble, despite her noble birth. She was nothing more than a cheap commoner like the rest of them. She had nothing left to prove. She told herself this was the end of the road for her. She was no Karin the heavy wind, she was nothing like her mother—she was a failure. Tears began to form around her eyes, but she forcefully reminded herself that she was a Valliere, and she still had her pride. She couldn't show any signs of weakness in front of others.

00

The professor was the first one to notice the smell. After all, he'd been in countless battlefields before and he knew that smell all too well. That wasn't good, he thought, and so drawing on his long experiences, he moved quickly enough to find Louise. Finding her, he did a quick check that she was fine. Then he took up a defensive position next to Louise, his stuff held in front of him and then he waited for the dust to settle.

As his nose sensed the smell of blood, a vile presence slowly crept over him and overwhelmed his senses. It was like nothing compared to anything he'd experienced before despite being on countless battlefields. This was something else. The word that came to mind was "evil" and it was unlike anything he'd ever felt. He could feel his body shaking from the goose bumps alone, his heart beat growing louder, and the quiet silence which was only interrupted by the sound of someone struggling followed by the sickening sound of a knife being repeatedly thrust into flesh. There were no screams of pain which only service to unsettle him more.

Tabitha and Kirche were both farther back and while they didn't actually smell the blood, their familiar had smelled it first and warned their masters by hissing in the direction of the summoning location. Their masters followed suit and took up defensive positions where they stood and waited for the dust cloud to clear.

The last one to notice the smell of blood was Louise. The blood brought her depressed mind to an effective end but unlike the professor, this was the first time she'd ever smelled blood. She couldn't take it, so the first thing she did was to hold both her hands over her mouth, as her body told her that she wasn't feeling well at all. It also informed to her that she should be moving away and back to the academy, RIGHT NOW. Rather, she was rooted to the ground and unable to move. But there was no reason she couldn't. She was afraid of the thing that just summoned her. She didn't know what it was but she didn't need to know, she tried to move her body but she couldn't.

Unable to move, her mind mused and drifted inwards. What was it that she'd summoned? Not only was she a zero, she had summoned a monster. What did she do wrong? Did this mean that she was a total failure? She was able to summon a monster. Did she finally successfully use magic only to be killed by a monster? She tried to stop herself from thinking anymore, but it wasn't helping. She could feel her fear creeping into her bones while her mind continued its fearful musing.

The players waited anxiety and uneasily for the dust cloud to clear. But thankfully, as the dust cleared the evil presence decreased, along with it. By the time that it cleared, Professor Colbert could barely feel it anymore, but the dust cloud cleared revealing a man, covered in blood, mud, and wounds that were bleeding while handling a short sword tightly in his hands. But it wasn't the sight of the man which made the hairs at the back of his head stand on ends. No it was the sight of the summoning spell closing which really did it for him more than anything else. That shouldn't be happening.

As the portal finally closed, leaving only the bleeding man, behind, breathing heavily. The Professor remained in his place as he watched the man, making sure that the evil presence he'd felt was gone before he moved to help the man. He waited for a bit more just to be sure but it was too long, as the man fell over face first into the ground, blood leaking into the ground. The man blacked out soon after that but he wasn't the only one as Louise followed her familiar soon.

00

Louise the zero woke up the next morning in her bed, the sun in her face shining brightly through the window filling her room with light. Slowly she opened her eyes only to belatedly ask herself how she got back into her room and whether she was still at the academy. But the thought only reminded her of her failure yesterday and the fear she felt when she set her eyes on her familiar. It felt cold, huge, and murderous. The thought itself sent her body heat plunging to the ground. At that moment she hoped with all her being that it was nothing more than a dream but she knew better.

Forcefully, she changed topic and focused on the present. She looked around and noted that she was still in her room at school. Sitting up she saw that her belonging weren't packed, so at least it meant she wasn't being kicked out of the academy, yet. She left her bed and got ready to head down to breakfast at the great hall. As she was about to leave her room, she stopped for a moment and considered hiding for the day but she reminded herself that she was a Valliere and she wouldn't let anything stop her. She braced herself, as she got ready for class and breakfast down at the great hall.

The journey to the main hall was short and quick for her. She entered the main hall and took the first available seat.

"Oh great founder Brimir, and our Lady the queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning," she said before she started to eat her breakfast. The food was good, she thought, as the taste helped her forget about yesterday. Yum! She thought with a smile on her face, that didn't last long as she remembered her familiar and his bloody face. She didn't know how long she was like that but the next thing, she knew, she heard Kirche's voice.

"Good morning, Louise."

"Good morning, Kirche." She replied over her shoulder.

"How is your familiar doing?"

"He's doing well right now but he's with Ms. Goon." she answered using the school head's name. Unseen by her, Kirche's facial features relaxed momentarily before mischief crept into it.

"So how much did it cost?" Kirche asked. She was aware of the fact that the professor had been unable to find any truth to it, so there was no danger of it endangering her or any of her fellow students.

Instantly, she remembered the events of the day before of her failure and all the ghastly details. She tried to ignore it but she failed—as her face slowly turned green. Soft laughter escaped Kirche as she enjoyed the show and waited, for Louise to start running to the rest room but she didn't. She was able to force her breakfast down while her temper had risen. Placing her eating utensils down, she stood, and turned around to face her bully. Before she could reply, Kirche beat her again.

"A commoner, so sad, to think that the Valliere his sunk so low as too summon a poor commoner, just so that you can stay here." She gave off another soft laugh before returning to rubbing the salt into the wound. She moved over to show her Salamander off by patting it on the head followed by feeding it some food from the table while cheerfully smiling at Louise.

"I still got a familiar and he's better than yours will ever be." She said.

"Half dead you mean?" Kriche replied with an innocent giggle.

"He's still alive." she almost shouted back at the top of her lungs but she stopped himself in time. She was about to reply when the bell for class rang. Making a show of it, she turned and left Kriche and her familiar behind.

Kirche watched Louise leave, anger clearly shown by the way her hands rolled into small balls. A sad smile crossed her face at the sight. At least that will stop her from thinking about it for a while.

00

The headmaster of the academy, or better known to students as Old Osmond, was worried despite what his outside expression showed to the outside world. He and his familiar Chuchu, were infamous for questionable and lecherous actions to his countless assistants over the years but it never went too far, just some spying between the two of them on his assistant's nature assets.

Chuchu was more than aware of his master feelings and tried to cheer him up by doing some spying on his own on their newest assistant, a Ms. Longueville, but it wasn't helping his master's mood at all.

He was an old man; he thought he'd seen a great many things during his long life. He'd seen people over the years summon a great many different familiars from something as harmless as a bird to something as dangerous as a dragon but this was the first time that he'd ever seen anyone summon a human familiar. But it wasn't that which worried him. It was the evil presence that he'd sensed yesterday. It was unlike anything he'd known before, nothing in his sizable experience could compare to the concentration of evil he'd felt at that moment. It frightened him that such concentration of evil could exist, and the fact that it was here—summoned here no less by a student. It worried him.

This incident meant he'd to change the way the familiar summoning rituals were done in the future and he'll have to watch Ms. Valliere's familiar closely just in case that he was the source of the vile presence. Maybe he'll send Chuchu to keep an eye on him? No, better it be Colbert that he'd sent to keep a watch on the familiar 24/7.

He wasn't sure if the evil presence was from the familiar or from something else but there was nothing he could do until the man awoke from his slumber. Only then could some of his concerns be answered. He'll have to wait, he concluded, before returning to work.

Louise was in her first class of the day, her mind barely acknowledging the teachers as she droned on about magic, the four elements, wind, water, fire, earth, void, etc. But she was only half listening, her body recording the teacher's words into her book while her mind raged at Kirche's word.

How dare she say that to her face! As if the mutterings of her fellow students wasn't bad enough. They may not have the guts to say it to her face but to hear it from her rival was bad enough. But to think that...that...Germanian cow would say something like that to her face! Just thinking about it, was enough to make her blood boil! But what made her madder were the realizations that she was right! Every single one of her classmates had summoned a familiar, and here she was with nothing more than a commoner for one.

At first she thought, while she listened to the rumors, that things were on the up and up, as it seemed that her fellow student acknowledged that she could perform magic. But that wasn't the case as it quickly become clear. According to the rumors about her, she paid a commoner to be her familiar and like a commoner she had no magical ability.

As she listened, to each word, she couldn't help as her temper raised and emotions of anger, pride, and hate stirred in the depth of her heart. But she was able to stop herself from blowing them all to kingdom come with another of her failed spells. Why does everyone think that she doesn't hear them as they talk, about her, behind her? Why? It always backfired.

Anyways, her impressive display of self-control only forced her to face what little truth the rumor contained. She may have been able to perform the summoning spell successfully, but that didn't change the fact that it was only one above zero. One successful spell out of dozens she'd cast wasn't a good success rate. Not to include the fact that the familiar is a reflection of the mage. So did it mean that she was just as worthless as the rest of the commoners? Wasn't she of noble blood? Wasn't she a Valliere? Wait, she thought, was she some commoner child that her mother had felt pity for, could the blood in her veins be of some commoner and not Valliere's? She never finished musing as she was interrupted by her teacher.

"Ms. Valliere, are you finding my class boring?" She asked in a threating tone, as she noted that she was just staring at her book, her hands frozen.

"No." She answered, looking at the teacher.

"Then, please explain the basic magic of the earth element?"

"Umm...the basic magic of the element is the transmutation creation of metals, raising of buildings, cutting of stones, and harvesting crops...all magic related to life on earth." she said, standing up.

"Very good, Ms. Valliere. Oh...I don't see your familiar, where is it?" the teacher asked but she answered before someone else did.

"It's not feeling well, miss." She said softly and quickly sitting down, before someone added something colorful to her comment.

"That's too bad." said the teacher with a hint of distaste evident in her voice before she went on with her class. The teacher's comment was soon followed by the hushed whispers of her classmates, trading rumors, stories, and options about her. There was nothing that she could do about it but take it.

"Cut the chatter people or you'll be eating clay." She said, in a threating tone. The chatter quieted down within seconds and she continued on with her class.

"Now a demonstration, I will cast a transmutation spell on this rock on my desk, so please observe closely," she said, before giving her ward a little wave and pop the piece of rock turn into three smaller rocks which looked like gold.

"The rock turned into gold! Amazing!" someone said, the statement was followed by a number of students saying something simpler or taking a deep breath or shook with surprise at the demonstration.

"Is...is that real gold?" Kirche asked.

"Fake" Said Tabitha.

"Correct, Ms. Tabitha, what you see here isn't gold but brass, an alloy of iron and zinc."

The teacher went on to explain the variance classes of mage, pointing out that a mage is only able to use one element are known as dots mage, while these that are able to use two were called line mage, those able to use three triangles mage, and finally those able to use four square mages.

"And while I don't mean to sound boastful, I myself am a 'triangle' mage. Hence, I am able to transmute brass." she said, as an ending statement to her explanation.

"That's just showing off," Kirche mumbled.

"Now, even dual-element 'Line' mages can transmute rock to glass but even for students that shouldn't be hard. So does anyone want to try their hand at it?" She asked the class but all she got was silence in return.

"Then Ms. Zer...Sorry Ms Valliere. Please transmute this rock I have in front of me." She asked.

"Wait, professor, please don't make her do it," someone said, only moments after the teacher finished her statement.

"Yep, she's going to kill us all." a classmate said, in agreement.

"Yep, it's only the morning, why let her ruin the day now." another said.

"Now, now, please don't interrupt. Ms. Valliere you may go ahead whenever you're ready." she said, with a grin that none but Tabitha saw as the rest of their fellow classmates ducked under their tables for cover. This was a chance, she told herself hopefully. If she could successfully cast the summoning spell yesterday, then she should be able to perform a simple spell like this, right?

So she focused on the task at hand, turning the rock into glass and put everything into the spell. She focused on the spell, making sure she did everything right from the words to the movements of her wand and thus she cast the spell. The three rocks began to shine brightly, and for microseconds, she thought that the spell had been successfully, but she was wrong. As it ended just like every other spell, she cast. It exploded in her face and was thrown on her back along with the teacher, smoke covered the classroom, and students soon begin to flee.

By the time the smoke cleared, the teacher was standing in front of her calmly explaining to her, as if she was child, that she was to clean up the room without using any magic. As the teacher left her to the task, she never saw the grin widen on her face, nor did she see Tabitha watching her as if she wanted to help before she was pulled away by Kirche.

In the end, it didn't matter to her at all because at this point, she was feeling like this was the lowest point of her short life. Ever since she was here at the academy she'd been unable to successfully cast any spells. It was only made worse when she remembered the ridicule and bullying she'd endured here at the academy. Even now, she heard them just outside in the hallway talking about her as if she couldn't hear them. She felt like rolling into a ball and just hiding, weeping tears of sorrow at her misfortune but her pride, told her that she couldn't. She was a Valliere, even if not by blood, she was still a Valliere. No matter the facts, she told herself in an attempt to cheer herself up. She was particularly successful. So with that thought in mind, she did her best not to think about anything, as she got to work cleaning and fixing the class room.

00

Colbert couldn't feel any peace at all. The depth of the vile presence that he'd felt was unlike anything in his long experience. It was nothing compared to the presence of the worst human scum bag that he'd ever hunted down as a soldier. He wasn't sure what it was but surely the familiar knows what it was but he had to wait until the man was awake for his questions to be answered. Until then, all he could do was wait.

He tried to get back to work but something about the summoning incident still irked him. In fact, it had been bothering him for the last day and a half. What could it be, but so far, he'd been unable to identify it? He thought, placing the quill down and thinking about it, what could it possibly be?

It was then, that it finally hit him, as he remembered that the portal was still closing when the smoke cleared and something else. Flak! He remembered that he wasn't too sure what it was then but now he was definitely sure what else he saw. It was a claw, a black metal-like claw which had been pulled back into the portal. That thing or whatever owned it was trying to come through the portal with the familiar. That shouldn't have been possible. Whatever it was, it meant bad news for the academy, he thought, as he picked up his quill and got back to work.

00

Here she was at the infirmary next to her familiar, sitting on a seat and just staring at him. She didn't know how she'd arrived there but she didn't really care after the day's event. It was only a day since the summoning ritual had been completed and here she was a powerless, worthless, and utterly despicable example for a noble. Who has ever heard of a noble who was unable to perform magic?

The hours spent cleaning the classroom meant hours of enduring the mocking laughter, intermixed with hushed whispers of rumors about her. It wasn't only her peers but also a few teachers who stop by or simply do a quick pass-by. It seemed no one wanted to help or were willing to help her and most were there simply to mock her in hushed whispers as if she couldn't hear them.

In the end, she didn't mind the cleaning, the hushed whispers, rumors, and mocking laughter. What she couldn't take was the fact that they seemed to come in waves. She just couldn't handle it for long as they seemed to come in endless waves and the fact that they did it deliberately, considering the room was rarely used as it was out of the way compared to the rest of the rooms which were used for regular classes.

It annoyed, irritated, angered, and pushed her temper to the breaking point but she'd fought the temptation to cast one unsuccessful spell after another into her tormentors all day long, not caring for the fact that it would explode in her face. Yet, it wasn't until night that her tormentors melted away into the night, to rest. There was also another reason to it and that was her pride as a Valliere to consider, even if she wasn't one by blood or at least as far as she knew.

She'd long admitted the possibility that there was no answer to that question until she saw her mother again. Putting that thought aside, she considered the idea of heading to her room for the night but she remembered that her familiar was still in the infirmary. Once there, she couldn't find the energy to move again.

Ms. Goon, the school water mage was kind enough to let her stay and inform her of the condition of her familiar. She didn't look well. In fact, she looked just like her, as if she just had a bad day, tired and eager for the day to end. It must have taken a lot out of her to heal her familiar, she thought, before thanking her and then heading over to a seat by her familiar.

Her mind returned to the present, as she watched the man who was her familiar. He wasn't bad looking for a commoner that is if it wasn't for a single scar that ran across his left cheek. From the outline of him, she could see that he was at least of reasonable build. So he can fight. His eyes were closed yet she wanted to see what color they were, but looking at his face, she couldn't help but feel at peace.

Her thoughts wandered for a moment. What could possibly have led to her summoning him, only to remember, bitterly, the reason. The familiar summoned was nothing more than a reflection of the mage magic. A soft bitter mocking laugh escaped her, did this mean that she was as powerless as this commoner, that her magical ability was little better than a commoner? The question only reinforced her bitter belief that she wasn't of Valliere blood. She wasn't anything to anyone. She was no noble, she was nothing more than a commoner; a useless fool thinking that she could do magic, she thought, before sleep finally calmed her for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Long War - Chapter 2 version 1.0 **

**The Long War – Chapter 2 1.1 – a little more detail on stuff and just some streamlining of events.**

**The Long War – Chapter 2 1.2 – correcting mistake that Rimshooter has pointed out. **

The Long War - Chapter 2

**I**t was another day for her, just another day of living her useless and pointless, she thought, as she sit down to breakfast in the great hall. She was late to breakfast, as shown by the fact that very few students were in the main hall, the only one still there were talking their time or simply like her had slept in. Today, was the weekends so their was no classes, and everyone was free for today and tomorrow which was the only reason that she was late to breakfast.

As she site down, she could immediately hear everyone quite down for a bit as they whispered behind her back, most likely about the latest rumors about her. But it didn't matter to her, anymore, her life and dreams were already fading away beside it wasn't like their was anything left for her here anymore. But what little hope remained in her heart yet even that was fading away second by second. She thought, despairingly, as she took the first bit of breakfast, after saying a quick prayer.

When she had woken in the morning, she'd made a decision, she didn't belong here. She was no mage, she nothing more then a fool thinking that she could be one. In the end, her summoning a commoner just proved that she was nothing more then a commoner, she thought.

So in making that decision, in the morning, she made sure to sent a letter, by messenger bird, to her mother, explaining that she will be dropping out of the academy and returning home. The second action, she did after that, was to inform her handmaid Siesta to begin packing her belongings before coming down for breakfast.

Now all that was left was to inform the headmaster that she was leaving the academy then, she had to see Ms. Goon, about her familiar and whether if he can be moved without endangering his health. If not then, she told, herself then she would have no choose but wait until he got better but it would also mean that she had to endure the hush whispered tones of her fellow students once again.

It had only been an hour and already she was getting increasingly vexed and inpatient, of every passing moment, no matter how many time that she tired to remain calm. She couldn't shake the feeling so it left her with no other choice but to endure.

Noticing that her food was finished she reached for more food, while her mind consider what she was going to be doing for today.

First, she had to find Siesta and get her to wash her familiar blood strain cloths and his armor, then she had to see Ms. Goon the school water mage and find out if her familiar could be moved safely, and finally she had to see the headmaster about dropping out of the academy and what was required of her. So...wait, she remembered, she'll have to see that her familiar got some food. That was about it for the day to do list, she thought, as she continue her breakfast.

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>olbert was standing next to the familiar watching the familiar and every single movement he'd made without missing a beat. The professor was tense, as he cast every anti-monster, anti-demon, anti-evil spell that he could think, there wasn't many, and none of them had any effect on the men before him.

Yet it wasn't enough to convince nor dissolved his unease at the men before him but he had to admit the failure of each spell only serviced to confirm that the familiar was nothing more then a men and the vile present was no longer with him. However, he noticed, the men was still a danger as they didn't know anything about him.

In fact, thinking about, he realized something that he should have thought of first. They haven't being any demons or anything similar in the records, of course, unless you counted the fairy tails often told to children by their parents. So what that meant that what he saw was impossible! Or at least as far as he knew, he grunted in irritation, at the lack of information, available to him. He'd already checked the school library, including the teachers only section and the headmasters collections, still nothing. The closet he got to were children novels and that didn't help him as their content or what little truth they were based on were lost.

"Good Day, Colbert." a old men voice asked, he know who it belonged to.

"Morning, Headmaster," he answered without turning around.

"So how is he doing?" Osmond said, as he step up to stand next to Colbert looking at Ms. Valliere familiar.

"According to Ms. Goon, he's recovering well now but I'm afraid that healing him has pushed her to the breaking point. So she has informed me that while the infirmary will remain open. She will not be able to heal any major wounds for while." He informed the headmaster.

"That is unfortunate news but do inform her that she has outdone herself and thank her for the hard work." Osmond said, emotionally.

"I will headmaster, sir."

"Good, now did she inform you of the extent of the familiar injuriously?" Osmond asked, interested.

"No, She was too tired to explain the details. All she said was that he was lucky to be alive and with us then dead."

"Oh, not very informing." Osmond said, with an hint of annoyance.

"Agree but..."

"Yes, I know don't worry snake. I know she's tired but I was hoping for more information." Osmond, chuckled softly. Silent remain between the two of them for a few minute, both busy with their own thoughts, until Osmond spoke.

"Did you find anything in your search?"

"No, nothing, nothing at all." Colbert answered, annoyed.

"Then we can do no more then wait until he's awaken." Osmond said.

"Can't we..."

"No, no mind reading spell, Colbert. That's is too dangers beside my gut is telling me that it's not a good idea." Osmond said, looking him in the face, making sure that he got the message, before turning back to leave.

He didn't agree with the headmaster on using a mind reading spell on the familiar to get some information and to find out where, he'd been summon from. But he was once a soldier and like a soldier, he followed the old men orders. So then, there was nothing more that he could do but wait until the familiar woke up. Now, he thought, on to more do-able problems, he thought, as he left.

* * *

><p><strong>L<strong>ongueville stood in front of the door which led into the school treasury, she cast a spell attempting to open it only to watch as nothing happened. She tired one more time only to see the same results, she cursed. It must've been a very powerful reinforcement spell that they used on the lock, well looks like she wasn't going to be getting in the easy way, she thought with a sigh.

She was a earth mage, a powerfully one, but to run into a spell like this on her last job was a pain, she'd gone undercover just so that she didn't have to result to force but once again, it wasn't to be so, she thought. Why must fate be so? This job was meant to be simple break into the treasury take what was on her shopping list, and get out. There done, no would find out ever that she'd taken anything, because from the looks of things, rarely anyone want to the treasury.

She sigh, maybe it time that she head back upstairs to the old men and go along with her cover. She was about to turn around and walk off, when she heard someone say.

"What are you doing over there?"

Crap, she thought, who could it be? She thought turning around only to see Colbert surprised face starring at her, his glasses resting on her noise.

"Miss Longueville?" he asked.

"Ah, Mister Colbert it's nice to see you. I was down here trying to get into the treasury so I could catalog everything inside. I heard from Osmond that it's a mass but it seem that I've forget to ask Osmond for the keys, silly me." She said, with a smile and a soft giggle, hoping that it was enough to fool him and surprise, surprise, she thought, it did.

"Oh, that's a bother." Colbert said.

"Yes it's, now I have to walk back upstairs to get them. I guess, it was just careless of me to forget." she said, turning around to leave, when she heard him say, almost shouting asking her to stop and wait a moment. This wasn't good, could he know that she wasn't who she was? Was her cover blown? Was she finished? He thought, as her hands slowly tighten around her ward, ready for the worst.

"How...ah..would you like...lunch together?" Colbert ask, surprising her.

That wasn't what she expected, she thought, that really wasn't what she expected. For a moment there, she'd thought that everything was over but it wasn't . Thank the founder, she thought, with relief. Wait, she thought suddenly, this might be a good time to get some information out of Colbert for now.

"Sure. It be my pleasure." she answered, weary.

"Really." Colbert answered, happily. She returned the expression with a smile of her own, she 'd seen many a men with that look in their eyes. In her experience, they never had any good intention for her, and so she'd gotten use to reading their intention by looking them in the eye. The most common sight in her experience was these of lust and malices so it was a surprise to her, when she saw no malaise within Colbert eyes. It was something that she'd never seen before, from any men, she'd ever known in her life. It brought a trustfully cheerful smile from her heart and reminded her of more innocently days.

"So do you mind putting the getting the keys from the headmaster until we have lunch." said Colbert hastily.

"Yes, I will." she answered, playfully, while waiting for Colbert as he moved to, stand next to her before they started to walk together leaving the treasury behind. Lunch shouldn't have taken that long but it had yet it did, as the two of them soon become lost in their own little world. They didn't notice the fact, that a number of stuff members and commoners were running around double-quick.

Nor did anyone notices Chuchu, the headmaster familiar, as he seat on one of the tables out in the court yard, meant for nobles. On the table, he was at, the student had left their food untouched on the table expect for the tea but he could care less about it. So without any delay, he'd literally jumped into the food, his soft fuzzy body obscurely by the food.

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>huchu was aware that he wasn't following his master bidding but he his hungry was too strong, so he decide to take a break for the moment. He took his time eating, making sure to enjoy each moment bit, as the cheese cake slowly disappeared inch by inch.

As he ate, he could hear his master almost shouting at him to find his assistant before he drowned in the amount of work he was doing, getting the school ready for the unexpected announcement that the princess will be visiting the school. But he didn't care, everyone need a break once in while, beside it wasn't like that he would die from a little work. He could feel that his master disagreement with his statement rather violently but even the show of wrath by his master didn't force him to rush at all.

All all, he had a plan to duel with it, so he didn't stop eating until he was sure that he was full and felt that he couldn't take anymore. Yet by this time, his master wrath had grown to the point that it threaten to explode at any moment, soon. He could feel that, he'd pushed his master temper to far, yet still he didn't worry. What worried him more was the realization that this short journey was going to be slow and possible dangers.

He'd planed this very carefully, so he begun the journey by jumping to the nearest person to pass by him, and roped to the ground from there he'd ran as fast as his body could take him on a full tank. Lucky for him, everyone was in class, the only moving barricade that he encountered were a few commoners.

There he was, he'd arrived at where he needed to be, he moved under the chair which Colbert set at and the individual who opposite him. He could feel his master surprise as he realized who it belong to, his master was left wordless, as he looked at the image before him. He could feel his master wrath melt away as minute pasted by, the longer he stood watching the scene before him.

He'd been planing this for a while now, when he saw spotted the two seating chatting together while his master wasn't monitoring his actions. It's been a while since he'd eaten any food that good, so he'd jumped at the chances to do so and so here he was, looking up into a scene that sent his master mind into heaven. Unfortunately it didn't last long as his eyes begun to feel sleepy. It wasn't long before sleep took him away to dream land, where all the cheese cake and sweets that he could ever eat waited for him. Thus he wasn't aware of his master long shout of despair.

"" Osmond scram echoed through his own office, followed by tears that rain down his cheeks. "Why? Oh Why? Must you be so crude fate?" he said, followed by more tears and thus his motivation to work for the rest of the day was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>I<strong>t'd taken her a while to finish packing Ms. Valliere cloths and other belongs this morning. She didn't know why? But that wasn't her concern, after all, she was nothing more then her handmaid. Anyways, everything was packed and waiting in her room, ready to go.

But until then, she want back to helping the academy with anything that they wanted, since, they were formal co-workers, she though. Of course, there were a few new faces but there were a lot more face that she knew. For example, there was her good friend Chief Marteau, the head chief of the academy, a men with a massive dislike of everything nobles, who'd been working here far longer then she.

Ms. Valliere had asked her to clean her her familiar cloth and the armor, shortly after breakfast and like a good handmaid, she'd agreed. She'd thought, about doing it then, so that way she got it out of the way, but she didn't. She heard from Chief Marteau that the princess was coming in two days and will be staying for dinner with the student and stuff. Chief Marteau, didn't look good because he looked as if he was having a midlife crises. It was then that she decide that she'll hold off cleaning Ms. Valliere familiar cloth and armor until later tonight, when everything should be calmer.

So she spent the rest of the day helping Chief Marteau by going with him to the capital to buy what he cooking ingredients that he'd need. They headed to the city market place managing to find most of the ingredients which they needed but there were a few that they couldn't find. In the end, they spent most of the time trying to find them or harking with someone who had them but at a price that they couldn't afford. By the time they got back to the academy, they only had a few hours until dinner but the Chief pulled by and was able to cook something for the students to eat.

She decide to stay and help him with cooking, it wasn't hard, as she drew on her past experience. She only made a few mistakes but lucky for her, it wasn't anything major or anything that couldn't be fixed quickly. Once the cooking was done, she'd help with serving the food to the students, and then finally she help with the clean of up of the kitchen by the time that she was done, it was late at night and most of the students were already at sleep.

It much to late, she thought, to be washing Ms. Valliere familiar cloths and to be honest, she did feel tired from the days work but as she existed the kitchen, she looked up at the night sky and remembered what her grandfather had told her about their great-great-great grandfather.

That he'd come from to this world through a portal that had opened up suddenly in front of him, as he fell through the sky when his airship had been hit by orks attacks. It hadn't been his first war but would have been his last, if not for the portal. He was found by her great-great-great grandmother in the one of the many caves just outside the town, which they founded and where she grow up at. The cave have since been closed off and watched over by her family through the years, the location kept as a family secret. She thought, as she got ready to wash Ms. Valliere familiar cloths and seat down with a sigh, her body crying tears of relief at the chance to finally seat down.

She'd decide to start with the armor first, as it looked to be easy, then the cloths which from look of it will take much longer to clean. The armor was almost unlike anything that she'd has ever seen, it was made up of what looked like arm guards, that some commoner swords men where to help block swords attacks, there were similar once found on the leg armor but the largest piece was the chest piece. Each piece were light and made of some kind of metal that she'd never seen before. It felt light as she held it up to her eyes but she felt that it was uneven, mostly likely it seen combat, she reasoned, before going back to washing it.

It didn't take long for the water to become bloody, she saw, and that was why she had five buckets of water next to her so that she didn't have to keep gong back and forth to get water each time that she'd needed some.

She'd never like the smell of blood and always made a affect to avoid it until she had no choose, which was never true. This wasn't the first time that she'd been asked to do to do something that she'd like by her employer, so to avoid looking at her bloody hands and the red water, she looked up at the night sky.

The sight brought back memories of her childhood, when she and her family want camping just outside the village and would pass the time just before bed time, watching the night sky while her grandfather would tell stories past down the family from her great-great-great grandfather.

The stories themselves were always interesting but it always involved death, war, and heroes of the Imperial Of Men fighting against their enemies, whether it was orks, elders, demons, or something else. While she still loved them now, she'd like it as much compared to when she was younger, and over the years she learnt a lot from them but the most important single lesson that she'd learnt was the possibility of living in a world without magic.

If men can create ship that travel between stars, then there was no need for magic or for the nobles to be, she thought. But this didn't really matter to her, as she remembered her great-great-great grandfather last words "I have wandered from battlefield to battlefield never knowing what it is I fight to protect but now as I die. It's nice to finally see, what it is I fight to protect up close with my own eyes. Thank you for the peace."

These were his last words and they echoed throughout her alongside her faith in the God-Emperor.

This was one of the main impact that his great-great-great father left on the village. Of course, they made sure that outsiders didn't find..

She yawned.

...out about their faith in a foreign God otherwise the...

She yawned again.

...church would...

The water felt warm, she thought, right before sleep took her and her body fell forward spilling the bloody water all over her and staining the stone with blood.

* * *

><p><strong>L<strong>ouise had been in her bed the whole day trying to avoid her fellow students and the teachers, she'd didn't have any wishes to listen to them calling her a zero. It would only make her depression worst then what it already is at the moment. She learnt from maid the headmaster, that the princess was coming to visit the academy, her only reaction had been to run back to her room without telling him that she planed to leave the academy. She and the princess were childhood friends, she was a successfully magic user and she was nothing more then a zero with a commoner for a familiar, she cried in despair.

Why? Why now? She thought, Why did she choose to visit the school now? She'd tried to force move but her body refused to move an inch, it didn't help that she could hear her fellow student just outside the hallway making fun of her, thinking she couldn't hear them.

The pink girl stayed that way until she fell asleep and the moons replaced the sun in the sky outside her window and its rays washered over her. It was than she awoke returning to the world.

She'd tired to force herself to sleep again, each time that she did it only remind her how lonely she felt at night. She had no friends here at the academy and she'd may put up a strong front when she was with her fellow students but in the end, when she returned to her room it was difference.

She'd tired to sleep again, but it wouldn't come, no matter how many time she tried. In the end, she made the decide to leave her room and head to the infirmary where her familiar was still recovering from his injuriously. once their, Ms. Goon, allowed her inside and without another words. She locked the doors and want to sleep next to the empty bed next to her familiar.

It wasn't long before sleep finally come to her, as she listen to the sound of his soft breathing.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>abitha watched her fell asleep from outside high in the sky while riding her familiar, Sylphid. She had new orders from her bas...uncle, she corrected herself. She was to out discover the disturbs at the academy and the source of it then finally report back to him, what it was. She'd know, already what it was, the source of the vile present wasn't from the familiar. What ever the source was, it had been left behind when in whatever place the familiar come from. Which she was thankfully for, she was fully aware of the one reason that he could have wanted it for, to use it as a weapon.

She'd already reported to him, the very same night, of the lively event yesterday during the summoning but it wasn't enough. The man demand more information but there was none available right now. The familiar was still unconscious and recovering from his wounds. Which left her, watching the familiar during the night hoping that the man would awaken but she didn't think it would be happening any time soon.

The familiar was clearly injuriously and was clearly fighting when he was summon by Louise. Which didn't

She doubled that anything will happen tonight so planned to call it a night soon, she thought, sensing her mood. Her own familiar took her back to her room for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**PS - Angry Santo the thing about Siesta from chapter two will be reveal soon maybe next chapter or the next one.**

**The Long War - Chapter 3 version 1.0**

**The Long War - Chapter 3 version 1.1 - added more detail in the void POV so that reader know more about it.**

**The Long War - Version 1.2 fixing stuff because i fail at proof reading. **

**The Long War Version 1.3 fixing stuff that Rimshooter pointed out.**

The long war – Chapter 3

**H**enrietta had read Karine, the heavy wind, letter about her Louise desire to leave the academy, along with her own letter which clearly spelled out should she, Henrietta, fail to convince Louise to stay at the academy. She will be paying a personal visit to the academy and it will be painful. The heavy wind reaction didn't surprise her at all.

As for Louise letter it surprised her as it was an event she thought would never happened but the facts were before her. She'd read the letter many times and each time with care making sure that she didn't misread a word yet at the end of each reading, she still couldn't believe the letter content.

The letter was to the point, informing her mother that she plan to leave the academy soon and that Eleonora, her elder sister, was right. They were both well aware of what was left unsaid, the fate of these nobles with no magical ability at all. She felts the bitterness and the despair of each words within the letter reminding her of her political goals and the injustices of the current system.

She'd always been aware of the fact that Louise wasn't capable of using magic at all, after all, they were childhood friends and friends today, even if they haven't seen ever other in years. She understood, that this was the one reason that Louise elder sister didn't want to let her to go to the academy because she knew the fate which awaited these of noble blood with little to no magic ability, they were often treated little better then commoners if not worst.

Yet Louise was always head strong, she remembered, thinking of the past, when they were still children and innocent of the world outside. It was thanks to this single aspect of her, that she was the person she was today. It was thanks to Louise that she'd had the drive and motivation to change her country, to ensure that the commoners had more impact on the country politics. And considering recent events in Albion, she'd seen the end product should the status quo not change her country would be doomed to the same fate whether some time during her lifetime or during her children or grand-children rule and that could not be allowed.

The nobles and her mother may not be able to see it but each year she saw that the treatment of commoners were only getting worst. Thus she didn't like it as it would only lead to...no she didn't want to think about it, she thought, forcing her mind from thinking about it further. With a deep breath, her mind moved on. So she had to change things now or else. That was why she'd taken advantage of her mother sorrow and passed a number of extreme laws that would change the status quo before it was too late.

She sighed, looking at the letter in her hands with a smile on her face, the courage, the bravery, the energy, no everything that she had been able to achieve. It was all thanks to Louise and her head strong drive to prove that she wasn't Louise the zero and so she had a debt to pay back but this wasn't the only reason for her surprise visit.

The other reason was because of the letter Colbert informing her of the events concerning the summoning of Louise familiar and so she had sent two letters one for the headmaster and the other letter to Colbert for a update on Louise familiar and if he was awake yet. She planed to have a personally talk with the familiar face to face, she thought, before walking to the window and looking out at her people and the city of Tristain.

She was happy that Louise had been able to summon a familiar during the tradition summoning ritual for second years at the academy but the unexpected vile present at the summoning had left her feeling disquieted and unease. She was unaware of any magical monsters capable of projecting such vile presents here at the human controlled lands but then that could possible mean that the familiar was from beyond the holy land.

The holy land, she repeated the words in her mind, could this mean that the elf's were at war with someone else? possible people who could control such monsters? if so then that wasn't good news for her country. She filed the thought for later, as she need more information before she could make her decision.

sighing, she wander, why couldn't life be simply? Like back when she was still a child? She asked the wind wishing that he was still with her, now. But she knew better yet it did not stop the sad smile cross her face.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he familiar stirred for the first time into a new world and open his eyes to see a unknown women sitting on a table doing something, she'd didn't seem to notices that he'd wake but that was fine with him for now.

He'd didn't feel like himself, he thought, as he rested his head on the bed again. He felt light headed and very tired and wearily. He didn't know what planet he was on but at least it was in human control, he thought, taking note of the unknown women at a table clearly asleep.

He didn't know where he was and he could ask her for information but he didn't feel like it because he was just happy that the wrap portal hadn't lead him into somewhere worst. He closed his eyes and said a prayer to the emperor and then opened his eyes only to stare at the stone roof trying to remember how he'd gotten here to this world since the only thing he remember was jumping through the portal but before that not a lot. So he thought, maybe it was best to start from the beginning, in the hope maybe he'll remember how he got here.

He was part of the Lorem III campaign to reclaim the agriculture planet from chaos, it seem that the planet PDF was caught by surprise and crushed within days. The chaos forces were nothing then a raiding force, according to the briefing. The Imperial fleet quickly brushed aside the chaos ships in orbit, once they arrived only a month afterwards, the quick win allowing the regiment to land, along with the other regiments with the fleet. They landed ready to fight the enemy only to find none, no enemy, no citizen, no sighs of life, and no AA or anti-ship fire from the enemy.

He'd quickly moved his regiment into position and too take control of the city, that was nothing more then a town or small settlement compared to cities on other imperial planets. The regiment moved into the city, supported by the regiment tanks, only to find nothing but dismembered bodies and crazed blood painting throughout the city, the sight didn't bring any comfort to him nor his men.

The next three weeks was spent carefully searching every inch of the city, along with the other regiment stationed around the planet but no one found the enemy. He'd set up HQ and stationed his man around the city at varies strong points throughout the city with the arrangement desighed to keep the enemy out of the city, it was a mistake prove by later events. While the higher ups spent the time considering what to do, he ordered his men to take turn in rotation between duty and some time off to relax for the first time in a while.

In the end, it was decide by command they were to clean the mass left behind by the great enemy with fire and so parts of building or sometime whole buildings were burnt to the ground. But while this was going on ground side, command or the space marines or someone whoever he or she decided to that the space marines wasn't needed anymore and thus they were redirected to other battlefields, where they were need. As for everyone else, it was decide they were to wait until the inquisition fleet arrived to check the planet and make sure that the chaos taint was removed completely.

But the space marines leaving proved to be the sigh for the enemy to begin the attack and so within days of the space marines leaving the enemy made their present felt when they attacked the regiment during the night with everything they had. Thinking back on it, he should have seen it then and there, after all, it was chaos but he hadn't. He only learnt of the attack when he was about to head to sleep, for the night when explosion engulf the city. All thought of sleep left him at that moment as he graped his lasgun and rushed out the door, heading for the regiment HQ downstairs.

He didn't remember a lot from that night, as it was filled with a blur of activity as he attempted to find and gather his regiment together in the maze known as the battlefield and consolidate them. By morning he'd lost control of most of the city, while most of the city was leveled or on fire, his artillery gone, a few tanks left, and what little remained of the regiment arranged around HQ.

It was his fault that they had die, he cursed his own folly at not considering such a possible. Dam it, he thought, as he felt his anger raising. DAM FUCKING, DAM THE ENEMY, DAM THE THEM ALL, DAM THE EMPEROR ENEMY, DAM THEM ALL. He cursed as the faces of his men flashed through his mind, some he didn't know, some he knew by sight, some by name only, and other because they were friends but all these faces had two things in common. Death had taken them to the emperor side and they all belonged to the 240th Iron Wolf.

The thought remind him of his uncle advice, a good commander always learns from his mistake only a foolish one didn't. So he learnt from his mistake, even if it was a bitter lesson and it was never to judge a book by it's cover especially on the battlefield, he thought, as he got his temper under control again. Yet even with his temper under control, it didn't lighten the burden on his soul, it was his fault that the regiment was nothing more then a memory.

That said, his mind returned to the past, as it remembered how he got here. He remembered finally discovering the enemy true objective and gathering what remain of the regiment and finally the attack deep underground into the remains of an ancient city. The attack soon turned into a mass as his men were catch between two chaos arms fighting each other which only lead to his discovery that the overall situation was only getting worst. The fleet was no more, in it place was a chaos fleet that were deploying troops to the ground attacking guardsman and there own side...

...wait..wait wait wait, he suddenly he short up, with a sudden blast of energy, only to come crushing down as his whole body howled in pain and blood escaped from under his wounds. He fought his desire to scram at the top of his lungs, in an attempt to ease his pain but failed as a soft painful grunt escape his mouth. The pain was nothing compared to any of his past battlefields injures but pain was still pain, he held it in, not allowing another grunt or words or scream to leave his lips. But thankfully, it didn't last long as the abyss known as sleep claimed him for the day.

* * *

><p><strong>S<strong>iesta didn't move a inch until one of the cooks for the kitchen found her outside the back, the kitchen suppliers were brought in. She was still passed out, cold. The cooks was nothing more then a assistant to the chief, he was here at the academy to learn from the best within easy reach of home.

The scene before him was bloody with a single massive pool of blood that still looked fresh and the handmaid laying almost in the center of it. He could see that she wasn't really injured and that the blood didn't really belong to her. His belief was confirmed when he saw the armor, that belonged to Louise familiar, which he easily recognized and the overturned buckets.

Rumors had been flying around the whole academy like a wild fire as the nobles retold the stories again and again until it was nothing like it was at first. In fact, by the time that it reached them (the commoners) they didn't believe a words of it yet they still took part in retelling the rumors for their own entertainment. But like all rumors there was always a hint of true that always remained in place no matter how many time it was retold. That hint was enough for them commoners because unlike the nobles their views wasn't colored by prejudice towards Ms. Valliere. And so as far they were able to tell from the rumors, her familiar was most likely a soldier summoned from a far off battlefield.

That single piece of truth amid the lies was confirmed with the bloody armor that he saw laying just below her along side the over turned bucket and washing equipment. Yet that wasn't what worried him the most. No it was the sight of the blood that worried him as...as there was something wrong with it. It still looked fresh as it was still new and from the look of the familiar armor, Siesta had been washing them. Yet the blood still looked fresh despite the fact that it was now mixed with water.

It was then that, the thought of helping the Siesta finally crossed his mind so he make to move towards Siesta but his body refused to move. He tired again and still it didn't move, he tired to well it to take a step forward towards the pool of blood and beyond but still it didn't move so he stopped and attempted found out why that was so.

What was this feeling, he asked himself? Looking down at his hands, he saw that it was trembling and finally his body reported that it wasn't only his hands that were trembling. So he looked at his other hand and saw that it was the same, what was this? Then his legs reported in that they felt weak. What was this...is this fear? He asked himself. Fear..fear..but it's day time...right..so why was he shaking? He was aware of that he was still afraid of the dark because of the possibility that monsters could be hiding right front of him and he still wouldn't know. But this was day time so why was he shaking? it couldn't be fear that he feeling right now, RIGHT? monsters didn't come out during the day, RIGHT?

Forcefully he looked at the pool of blood again, how can he be afraid of blood? He was a assistant cook, he'd worked with blood before right and so why was he afraid of the pool of blood before him? After all it was only blood, right? besides, he reasoned, the blood could be the familiars or maybe a enemy soldier that he killed so what harm could it do to him?

That line of though didn't convince a him a single bit nor did it ease the trembling of his body. Wait he thought, remembering that he had not felt this afraid since childhood when his father had told him of these ancient stories where the hero would always kill the monster. So could this blood before him belong to a monster? No, there was no such things as monsters, there were nothing more then a fairy tails told to frighten children so that they would listen to there parents.

Yes that's it, it was nothing more then stories just stories that's all besides it was nothing more then blood, right? He told himself again before he pulled out a flask of liquor and took a long hard pull almost emptying it. He could feel courage flow into him while his body stopped shaking, he moves towards Siesta unmoving body and then kneed down beside her to help.

He then shook her, attempting to wake her up, but she didn't that was when he noticed and felt the blood against his skin. He held his breath waiting for something to happen but nothing did. So it was nothing more then blood, he thought joyfully, as a soft laugh escaped from him yet it didn't last long as it soon turned into a loud and gleefully laugh. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that his shaking of Siesta had loosen a relic that was a family heirloom, that she always carried with her, and the blood was moving slowly towards him.

The relic loosen fall from Siesta pocket and make contrast with the bloody ground and their it rested unmoving. The assistant cook picked Siesta up and begin to walk slowly while still laughing that by this time no longer sounded like a joyfully laugh but now sounded like a madman shriek. He never saw the relic begin to smoke nor did he see the fire triggered by the relic that quickly engulf every single drop of blood present including these on him and Siesta.

And so it wasn't long before the assistant cooks laughter soon turned into a long painfully scream of pain as his body was engulfed in flames and his soul was ripe apart and eaten. Siesta body fell to the ground amids the flames as it burnt the areas of her cloths that were sprinkled with the inhuman blood and leaving her half naked. The assistant cook wasn't so lucky as the fire burnt him to the ground leaving nothing but his ashes behind and not a single drop of blood left.

The first people to arrive at the scene were the kitchen stuff then followed by teachers further from around the school while students were left wondering. Yet it didn't matter as only the kitchen stuff arrived in time to see the flames dieing down after it'd burnt away the demon blood while Siesta lay with the remains of her burnt cloths.

The kitchen stuff found the crime scene confusing, as they saw that the flames had let no evidences of damaged on the stone floor. The flames had burnt the armor, the buckets, the assistant cook body, and most of Siesta cloths.

Chief Marteau couldn't believe the sight before, Siesta was almost naked and the sight of ashes. The next thought that crossed his mind was the same that crossed every commoner present at the scene of the crime. A noble had tired to commit a unforgivable crime and they burnt a innocent men to death who tired to save the girl. There key reasoning? Only a noble could create fire that didn't leave behind any evidences.

Sadly, the first teacher to arrive at the scene was a professor by the name of Mr. Ventus, who arrived to late to see the flames. It didn't help that the man was a pridefully fool who once he arrived, didn't bother to look too deeply into the incident and dismissed the commoners comments about the flames because as far as he know, that wasn't possible. Unfortunately he didn't inform the commoners that no such spell existed but he didn't because of his pride and simple contempt for them. And so the crime was blamed on a innocent men.

The decision left a bitter taste in the kitchen workers mouth who disdain for the nobles only grow which quickly grow to include all of the commoners working for the academy. As for Siesta it wasn't long before rumors begin to fly around the academy that she'd been raped by another commoner and thus was nothing more then damaged goods. And considering who she worked for it also wasn't long before the whole incident was blamed on Louise with the innocent men completely forgotten in the hazy of lies.

Thus it wasn't long before the rumors made their way to Louise ears which did nothing more then deepen her wounds and sorrow and finally push her to the breaking point. Where she no longer cared for anything in the world not family, not fellow students, not fellow countrymen and women, not even her pride as a Valliere, no. Nothing mattered anymore to her and so the darkness of the void took her.

* * *

><p><strong>O<strong>smond couldn't believe his luck, first it was with Ms. Valliere familiar, then his assistant was off with his right hand hand in La La Land leaving him high and dry with the academy workload, and now this. THIS a actual crime taking place on the academy grounds! What was the world coming too? He thought gloomy.

According to Mr. Ventus, who was the first to get there, it was attempted rape but why must it happen right now? the princess was due to arrive tomorrow and here he was still working on getting everything ready.

Why must his peaceful year be taken away from him? NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, he cried softly to no one but himself, as tears of sorrow ran down his face. It didn't last long as it was nothing more then an act of him expressing his irritation with recent events and fact that he had to actual do some real work for the last day or so.

He lean back in his chair, with a sigh, the last fews days had been rough ever since the unexpected summoning of the soldier from a distance lands by Ms. Valliere. Which was a surprise to not only Colbert but the whole stuff of the academy, including him. The event, while worrisome considering the vile present that he had felt at the summoning, had him interested as there had never been such a case before. In fact, this was a first that a living being was summoned as a noble familiar as far as he was aware.

He sigh, his mind wondering back to the recent attempted rape on the academy grounds or at least that was what happened according to Mr. Ventus who was the first one to arrive at the spot. Yet he didn't trust the man, as he had a hobbit of letting his pride and contempt for commoners color his judgment so he was sending Colbert to double check the wind magi findings.

In the end, he sighed, the solution for these problems can wait for now, he thought. What was more important was getting everything ready for the princess visit tomorrow and making sure that nothing went wrong while she was here. It didn't help that it was going to be arriving early in the morning which meant he had to get things ready tonight.

He paused his musing and took a deep breath, this was going to be a pain, he thought, as he got out of his seat and left his office so that he could get everything ready for tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>L<strong>ater that night, when everyone was asleep, Louise found herself on all fours with her face inches from her familiar, she was studying his face and wondering about why she had summoned a commoner like him to be her familiar. Yet even so that thought itself was nothing more then a passing thought in her mind.

She'd been crying for two days after locking herself in her room, to afraid to come out and face her peers. Yet she know that something had changed inside of her, when she heard the latest rumors about her despite her door been locked. She didn't knew what it was that broke inside of her so that lack of knowledge had brought her here before her familiar and were she found herself only inches from her familiar face. She had come here in the hope that it'll help her find answers but she hadn't found any.

What was it that had changed in her? She could tell that it wasn't anything concerning her pride as she had none left and as for her other emotions, she didn't feel anything. In fact, it felt almost like she was standing in a empty cold room, her skin cold to the touch, and it didn't feel as if it belonged to her at all. Now that she thought about it almost felt like this body didn't belong her and yet here she was in it.

It make her feel odd in a way but maybe it was a side effect of crying and over thinking about her sorrows continually for the last two days that she felt like this.

She couldn't feel anything not even when she thought of her family her mother, father, and sisters. She didn't feel anything, no love, no joy, nothing nor did she feel or remember the memories that want with these words. The only thing that she could feel was a empty void as if nothing in the world mattered.

That was the way she'd felt when she left her room some time after midnight and made her way to her familiar side. She didn't feel the cold nor the warmth nor anything else for that matter as she walked down here to the infirmary. She didn't feel anything until she was inches from her familiar face and starring at his lips. She didn't know how long she stared at these lips for but it was long enough for a voice in her mind to whisper softly 'kiss him and complete the summoning ritual' however it wasn't the only voice in her soul.

She could hear another telling her to not kiss the familiar but to take it to the next level and in return power would be hers but that voice was silents by another as it told her not to listen to the second voice as it would bring her only to sorrow. And yet this voice was silent by another more powerfully voice that told her that nothing mattered in this world. All was nothing before the void, for it was the void that was the beginning and the end of all things in this universe. Everything come from the void and in the end everything will return to it at the end of the universe.

The other voice tired to resume the argument but it was again silent by the fourth voice in her soul, what followed was silences. It was here then that her senses finally returned, she blushed as she felt the warmth of her familiar face but she didn't redraw, as her eyes were drawn to the familiar lips and the sound of his soft breathing. She could feel the warmth from the familiar body, it felt comforting to her.

The thought, didn't least long as her senses stopped working and the cold emotionless state returned and so did the voice. It told that she was a void magi and what it meant to be a true master of the void, the other voices tried to counter but they were silents again by the forth voice. The fourth voice then told her that if she really wanted power then it would give it to her but it told her the price, she would have to cut of all emotional connection to everyone but her familiar. If she wanted a normal life then all she had to do was say so and she would be no difference any other void user in the past, restricted and limited in power and ability but still more powerfully then any magi.

She considered it for a moment, as warmth returned to her body, and as she studied her familiar closely, he was handsome and not to bad looking. She could live with it she thought agreeing to the voice conditions and for a moment she lost control of her body as it kissed her familiar lightly in the lips. The action itself left her shocked and surprise that she blacked out but her body didn't fall.

The void took control of her body and checked the familiar carefully, good it thought, it had choose well but the familiar weapon wasn't present. So it spent some time looking all over the academy, making sure that no one saw it, and once it found it. It returned it to the infirmary and placed it next to the familiar before finally leaving for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>abitha had taken to watching the familiar at night along side with Louise and she'd taken notices of the changes in her behavior and filed it away for future references. She'd been getting more and more messages from the king to find out what that 'vile present' was. She reread the countless letter over and over to make sure that she didn't misread a word but from the sound of it. It sounded as if her uncle was afraid of this familiar, no she thought, it wasn't the familiar that he was afraid off. It was that vile, no she corrected, evil present that she'd felt when Louise had summon her familiar.

That was what he was truly afraid and as much as she would be overjoyed at the discovery, she was equally afraid of it. She'd faced madman, killers, monsters, orks, and evil man like her uncle but nothing compared to the present that she felt that day. It was nothing compared to any of her other past experiences, in fact, it was ten time if not more worst then anything in her experiences alone. And so it was for that reason alone that she was afraid of the familiar and doing her best to keep a eye on it.

She would have to reply to the king letters or else he may end up sending someone else to replace her and that couldn't be allowed to happen. She liked it here as it was peacefully, quite, and she had friends for the first time in her life. The only thing that still remain at home was her mother and only her, without her, she had no reason to service her uncle.

So she needed to find some solid information soon if she didn't want to lose what little happiness she had in her life but thus far she had nothing besides the events of tonight and that wasn't a lot to report, she thought. The only thing that the event told her was that the two of them were close but how? It didn't make any sense as Louise had only summon him a few days ago and he'd spent all that time unconscious.

The thought of them been lovers, brought a short lived simile to her face, but she never seriously considered the possibility yet she had taken a look at the familiar weapon and it was nothing like any that she'd seem during her life.

Tonight events coupled with the fact, that a familiar was a reflection of the summoner, along with the benefits that come with it didn't help her understand the situation before her any better. Therefore, she thought sadly, she had nothing to report to her uncle but tonight event and tell him that she'll be watching the familiar closely.

Thus she headed back to her room with her familiar flying through the night sky.

* * *

><p><strong>T<strong>he void was no longer controlling it's host body, now it was nothing more then a formless shadow standing next to one of it children. It considered the child before him, she was a void magi and one of the first of it's children to truly connect with it and understand what it meant to be a true void magi.

It didn't have any feeling or emotion like the flesh bound soul that were living beings which were scatted across the universe, in fact, it didn't have a soul nor a body like these small life forms. No it did not, for the void the whole universe was it body every single piece of matter in this universe belong to it and thus it had complete control over it. However it was wrong to assume that because it didn't have any emotions that it couldn't understand them, after all it understood the complex chemical reactions that take place inside a human being or any other alien intelligent life forms which product theses emotions.

So it understood these emotions on a intellectual level yet it could never feel nor experience them but this did not mean that it didn't understand the intention behind them. It could understand a man decision to fight to protect his family just as it could equally understand a man decision to protect their young and so it understood the need to protect it children and to keep the promise it had made to that interesting human long ago.

The void know everything there was to know about the universe ever since it was created long ago. It know what was possible and what wasn't possible from the moment of it birth. So even since than it had wander the universe looking at all the achievements of all it's inhabitants and to be honest with itself some of these achievement was truly something to behold such as the creation of planets, suns, and etc. These achievements of the inhabitants of this universe were something which a being like it would be proud of but when these achievements were compared to the single achievement of the humans. They were worthless and meaningless.

The reason? because all the achievements of the inhabitants of this universe followed the rules of the universe. It knew that these achievement were possible, all it needed was for them to understand the theory behind the technology. The humans, as they call themselves, single greatest achievement was the establishments of a connection between their universe and it. Their intention was to turn this planet into a safe heave for their kind.

It could understand the intention behind their actions as it was no difference from countless others, it witness since it birth.

This single achievement was one that not one of the current inhabitation of this universe had managed to match in any way despite their own note worthy achievement but even their greatest works were nothing compared to the human achievement of creating a connection between two difference universe. This was a achievement which left it confused as it knew that such a event was impossible yet here it was happening.

It had study the portal closely and to some extent it could understand the laws behind it but it could not fully fathom the reason why it worked. This was same thing out of it knowledge, something out of it understand, something out of it...jurisdiction. Yes jurisdiction was the right word but only in part.

It understood that it authority extended so far into the connection into the humans home universe and that it could never hope to shut down the connection without the portal machine been shut down completely. It was also aware that the connection could also be cut by destroying the machine but that would be against the promise it made.

However even if it hadn't made that promise it wouldn't have destroyed the machine. It wouldn't as it existence give it the chance to learn knowledge beyond it understanding. This lead to it pushing as far as it could along the connection in order to further it knowledge and understand the universe on the other side.

What it learnt was interesting to say the least. The connection seem to travel through a realm of pure emotions, it was unlike any that it ever felt or experienced. The emotions did not effect it at all been a being of pure logical but it understood them enough to know what they were. The possibility of such a realm existing was impossible but here it was before it. A realm of pure emotions.

Further study of the connection allowed it to finally find the present of beings similar to it within this realm of emotions it did not contract them as there was no need too. It was here only to look and study. It did feel a familiar present within this realm of emotions but it could never pin it down.

Thus as a sigh of that achievement he'd given them the gift of using a smell measure of it power but each of them had disappointed him, as they still clenched to useless things but despite this it could understand it children. They were not bound to this plane of existences for long unlike it.

They were not caretakers like it, they were not a cog in a complex machine, they were beings able to choice there own fates before finally leaving this plane of existences at the end of there lives. It was aware of this as it could feel the soul of it children leaving there bodies behind at the end of there lives. It felt lost. No what was the word...sad yes that was the word. Sad.

It was why it agreed to that interesting human promise in the past.

This child was the first one to truly understand it and she will be the one to ensure that the promise will be fulfilled and the gate way will be closed as agreed a pond.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Long War – Chapter 4 version 1.0**

**The Long War - Chapter 4 1.1 - more details on Ms. Goon past and a rewrite of it so that it flows better, i think.**

**The Long War - Chapter 4 1.2 – OK Am sure now that I've fixed everything. Didn't really change a lot, mostly just streamlining of the chapter events, fixing the things that Rimshooter pointed out in his review, and proof reading it in the hope that i've fixed them all. **

The Long War – Chapter 4

**L**ouise awoke to the sight of man like shaped figure starring at her, she didn't know what it was but it looked creepy considering that it had no eyes, no month, ears, or any of the usual features that want with a face or body. The last thing she remembered was been above her familiar just inches from his face and kissing him to make him her familiar. She tried to remember what happened afterwards but she couldn't remember a thing expect for soft toneless voice.

So that meant that she fell asleep on top of her familiar; that was going to be interesting. Wait if she was asleep then that meant that this was a dream, she thought, as she turned around 360 degrees checking her surroundings but she saw nothing but a endless blackness that surrounded her.

This wasn't her dreams, she thought to herself, her dreams were a more then this. It had people, family, and friends running around praising her at every step as she walked down the main street of the capital. It was where she was the hero of the hour, who saved the country from it's enemies with her magic alone. That had always been her dream every night and her depression, the pain, and the bullying hadn't even change this. In fact it had only pushed her closer and closer to into her own dream to the point that it had become her only source of hope.

As for her pride, what little that was left did not belong to her but her family name yet her despair of the last few days had all but destroyed what few nanometers were left.

Yet in the end, none of this mattered currently considering her surrounding.

"Where am I?" she asked the thing before her.

"You should know." the shadow answered in a toneless voice.

"I don't." she said irritated at the thing answer.

The next few moment was spent by the two of them staring at each other waiting for each other to speak. It didn't do her temper any good.

"Then who are you?" she demanded.

"This is your world you should know who I am without having to ask me" it replied in the same toneless voice.

"I don't remember meeting anyone like you without a face? In any of my dreams before." she short back with a little anger in her voice and ignoring its question. She hoped to get a more detail answer in return by it but her hope were crushed as it answered emotionless.

"The answer doesn't matter you will find out in time. There are more important business matters to attend too Ms. Valliere" the voice replied emotionless.

"Like what?" she said with more anger clearly in her voice.

"Meditating."

"Meditating?" she said irritation with a touch of anger in her voice.

"Meditating." it confirmed, as she felt her irritation grow. OK OK this is a dream right? Who the hell meditates in their dreams only losers did that and beside her dreams were her only means off escaping the pains of reality.

This was her dreams, she told herself, she wasn't going to meditate in her own dreams. She felt her irritation turn into anger at the thought. She closed her eyes and was partially successful in her attempt of calming herself down. .

"Don't think about about anything, seat down, close your eyes, and meditate." it said.

"This is my world, my dreams and I will do as I please." she said almost shouting her answer her tone was blended with pain and anger as painfully memories flashed before her outside the endless blackness.

Why? Why did they treat her like she was nothing more then a commoner? She was a noble, a noble, a bloody fucking noble like them, she told, herself. She was born a noble, she could do magic if it only resulted in explosion but it was still magic, and now she'd summon a familiar and completed the ritual. It was all the proof they needed to show that she could do magic so why were they still making fun of her? She thought, as she saw memories flash around the blackness surrounding her.

"Pride." the thing said, cutting of her musing and the painfully memories returning the endless space around her to the empty blackness that it was before.

"Pride?" she said confused.

"Magic." the thing answered

"Wait what does magic have to do with pride?" she said irritated and confused. She watch the thing begin to walk around her in an circle. She tired to wait for an answer but her temper got the better of her.

"Hey why don't you answer me?" She shouted at the shadow but it said nothing in reply. She waited for an answer but it didn't come than or in anytime meaningful before her temper got the better of her and she decide to rush the thing only to be come halt as she smash into a barrier that she'd didn't know existed.

"That was foolish." the thing said. The words were not once that she wanted to hear especially from a thing with no face and thus the pain that she felt mixed in with the sorrow pushed her self control to the breaking point.

"WHO ARE YOU?" she shouted at the thing.

"You should know without asking me but a more important question is who are you?." the thing said.

"I'M LOUSIE THE ZERO!" she shouted, as pointed a accusing finger at the thing and ignoring the thing answer.

"A suitable name as zero is the start of everything." it's answer didn't help calm her down a bit.

"NO IT'S NOT THIS IS MY DREAM. THIS IS MY PLACE WHERE I CAN ESCAPE THE PAIN OF REALITY AND THUS THIS IS MY WORLD! SO WHAT IN THE FOU..."

"Wrong." it corrected her.

"FUCK YOU THIS IS MY WORLD AND I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! AND THIS AREN'T IT AT ALL."

"Wrong again." it said in the same toneless voice.

"THIS IS MY WORLD? WHY IS IT DARK AND NOTHING MORE THAN A EMTY VOID?" she asked, her tone dipping with scarcity and pain.

"To protect you from your familiar dreams."

"PROTECT ME FROM IT'S DREAMS? WHAT COULD POSSIBLE BE MY FAMILIAR DREAMING ABOUT? HE'S NOTHING BUT A COMMONER. THE BEST THING THAT HE COULD BE DREAMING ABOUT IS SOME WHORE." she said, her voice filled with pride or what was left of it.

"Pride is a two edge sword."

"PRIDE? PRIDE IS ALL I HAVE LEFT AFTER ENDURING YEARS OF BULLYING AND PUT DOWNS BY MY OWN FAMILY, MY FELLOW STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS. WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE?"

"Nothing."

"NOTHING! YOU DAM RIGHT I HAVE NOTHING LEFT. NOTHING WORTH LIVING FOR BUT MY PRIDE IN THE NAME VALLIERE."

"Pride in a name is meaningless." the thing informed her in the same toneless emotionless voice.

"I DON'T CARE! MY PRIDE IN MY FAMILY NAME IS ALL I HAVE LEFT. AND WITH WHAT I HAVE LEFT OF MY PRIDE I WILL HAVE WHAT I WANT! I WILL BE A HERO, CROWDS OF PEOPLE WILL SCREAM MY NAME, AND THEY WILL SHOWER ME WITH MONEY AND POWER?" she shouted.

"Meaningless."

"I DON'T CARE WHERE ARE MY PARENTS?"

"Dead." it said.

"YOU LIE! THEY ARE STILL ALIVE! WHERE ARE MY SISTERS AND THAT BITCH ELEANOR?"

"Alive..somewhere." the thing answered in the same toneless voice.

"WHERE IS MY GLORY?"

"All glory is hollow."

"WHERE IS MY MAGIC?"

It said nothing in reply. She didn't care.

"WHERE IS MY PEACE?"

"There is no peace but in death."

"WHERE IS MY REPECT?" she shouted back at the thing as tears ran down her face and her voice begin to break and she crumbled and folded into a small pink haired ball.

"It comes with age." the thing said softly.

The thing simply stood there and watched her vent her emotions that had been hidden behind the dam that she built long ago. It said nothing as it waited nor did it care that it waited for hours as she cried her sorrows and pain until there was nothing left but the loneness of her heart. Slowly as a the hours pasted sleep come to take Louise away.

"There is a reason for this and as there is a reason for everything." it finally said hours later as it felt the dream coming to an end. It walked inside the circle and slowly descended until it down next to her, softly and slowly it ran it hand through her hair until it come to rest on her face.

The thing could feel the warmth of her flesh and the blood flowing through her veins. This was the first time that there was any need for any interaction between the two of them. It had become a necessary the moment Louise understood the truth and in doing so brought her to father attention. Father had informed her that it was time to carry out the promise made long ago and that she was to look Louise.

She had no problem with this as nothing else mattered to her but the well being of Louise, it thought, as it raised her hand to touch Louise face to remind her of life and her humanity. It couldn't allow itself to forgot that fact, it thought, as Louise hand make contract with her face and for a moment the shadow that was her face disappeared replaced by a cheerful and smiling face of a teen with pink hair.

Yes, it thought satisfied, it will protect Louise from the demon within her familiar. Father had left only one issue addressed which she pointed out the last time they talked but his answer was cold-hearted and logical, there was no need to be worried about the demon. The runes will protect Louise should the familiar fail to resist.

She'd been here all this time hidden in the shadow until tonight because until than Louise like many of her sibling didn't understand the true nature of the void instant many of them were binded by their so call 'power' which was there birth right.

This wasn't going to be easy, Louise had many secrets that she'd locked away because it wasn't time for her learn them yet in due time as she grow and developed her powers then maybe she will inform her. But until then she will keep them locked away from her.

In order to stop the secrets from pushing her to the nothingness of the void which father called home. That couldn't be allowed as it sentence her humanity to death and ensure that she would be no difference from father.

A logical being with no heart and with none of the rules which binded her father from misusing his position as the caretaker of this universe. She sigh, it didn't help that in the last few days the dam which Louise build to held back the pains of reality had broken.

The flood has washed everything away leaving only her house and her family remaining in what was now a empty land. It was a little to close to the conception of the void. A world of nothingness. She thought, as the dream begun to end and the world around come crushing down bringing the dream to an end for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>H<strong>e was standing in the middle of a courtyard that he'd never seen before in his life yet he recognized the lay out from some of the old printed records which his family still maintained. The sky was blue and clear of any of the pollutions, ships, or space docks in orbit. That wasn't good news for him as it raised the possibility that this world wasn't claimed by the Imperial. He cured his fate and the events which brought him here.

He heard a noise some somewhere behind him and he turned to see three little girls playing with each other. They looked to be somewhere about five years olds and they wasn't alone as they were with adults and from the look of it, it was their parents. They seem to be having a good time together playing with each other and seeing them smiling and laughing reminded him of his own family and what he left behind when duty called.

Yet that was long ago despite the fact that it's was no more then a little then ten years ago. Funny how time passes by quickly when you don't think about it, he thought sadly. As his own memories of his family flashed though his own mind awaking memories long buried in the depth of his mind. These memories were everything that he'd had left now, he thought, as he remembered that the 240th Iron Wolf Regiment was no more.

He could have been crying about it now like any other human being but years of combat duty fighting mankind enemies and watching his man die as he sent them to the battlefield had left him numb to everything but the memories of his family. Which he locked away inside his mind for safe keeping as it was unlikely that he would ever get to see them again during his life. The man and woman of the Imperial Guard were soldiers for life as few lived long enough to retire yet these few that did often find themselves far from home and no way to get there.

Duty and duty alone in service of the emperor will was all the reason that a guardsman needed to fight but for him it wasn't enough. That was the reason that he held his memories of his family so dear because it what he fought to protect, his family and to give other that same chance and finally for the emperor. For it was the children who were the future and he fought to protect their future however the years of endless fighting moving from one battlefield to another had slowly forced him to lock these memories away or else he would be left with nothing but a emptiness that he could not endure.

The years of fighting had also changed his face from what was once the face of a native boy who had no idea of the true horrors of the universe into a face that no longer bear such a face. His body boar scars of countless battlefields, his eyes no longer innocent, his face could no longer smile, and his hands were soaked in the blood of his enemies. And he could not remember what his family face looked like nor he could force himself to open the lock to the hidden room as it was enough for him to know that it existed and it was safe.

Thus when he saw the unknown family playing together in front of what could only be their house. He was lost for words for he no long could remember the faces of his own family. Of his own daughters, his own family, nor the face of his beloved wife so it left him confused at the sight before him. Could this be his memories that he'd long locked away into the depths of his soul? Could this be his family? Could this be what his face once looked like? Could this mean that he was dead?

He tired to say something anything but nothing come out no matter how many time he tired. So he it left him there standing speechless as he did nothing but observe and listen as the family laughed and had a good time together. He felt his hand gripe on his wife short sword loosen for a moment only to realize that the sense before him was impossible. He never opened the hidden room within his soul which housed his memories of his family. This was someone else family, someone else memories, this must be some trick of the enemy, he thought, as his gripe on his short sword tighten and he ready himself to face the enemy.

"Is it really that hard for us to let go off of reality and simply enjoy ourself?" a voice said from behind him. He didn't wait for the voice to say anymore as his training kicked in and he turned around bringing up his short sword up to take the unknown enemy head off but he didn't as his eyes recognized the face that was starring back at him. It was his own.

"Surprise?" the other him asked with a smile and he still didn't say anything as right now he was in shock. This was impossible. The thing before him was neither a demon after his soul but he didn't think so as if it was it would have eaten him without saying anything. So that meant, carefully he turned the look-like around until his back was to the family. He needed to take a good look at the family and the house because it didn't match what little he still remember of his family home. Then that meant that this was a dream? But how the last thing he remembered...

"Yes this is a dream to answer your question." the look-like said sighing "I had hoped that you would take the time to enjoy yourself here even if it isn't ours." the other him said.

"Ours?" he asked, moving his sword closer to the heretic neck until it was only inches away.

"I'm you." it replied.

"That is impossible!" he said, fact of factually.

"Really, really, this is a dream anything is possible here." it said.

"I don't dream." he said with a slur.

"Lier." it said.

"I don't dream." he told the heretic again but this time it wasn't will out a slur.

"We dream don't lie, it's not good for you."

He didn't have anything to say in reply but stare at the other him.

"We have been fighting for a long time to the point that our memories of our family has been buried by memories of wars and death that has become our life. These memories have goes as far as to pollute out dreams and the very core of our being or at least most of it." it said. The other him smile as it saw the truth of it words effect on the other him with the sword.

"No they have not."

"Don't lair to me. I am you I know everything that you know."

"How long have we been fighting for? 5, 10, 30 years? Do you think that your life will get any better?"

"The 240th Iron Wolf are no more, everyone is dead. This world doesn't have a spaceport. There is no way home but through death." the other him said. That sentence sent his blood boiling and he was about to say something when the other him beat him to the task.

"I know that you miss them. Do you think that you can lie to me. I am you. I know what you dream about each night when you close your eyes."

"No you don't." he said trying to deny the true but failure woefully as his hands begun to shake as his mind was flashed with sights from his own dreams.

"Don't try to lie to me." the other him said, it's tone dip with danger.

"I know that you dream of her and our family everyday since the last time we received news from home which told us that our family is no more killed by a psyker whom soul was consumed by a daemon. Do you think that I don't miss them too?" the other mind said, with anger in his voice for the first time in a long time.

"They are dead and nothing we can do will bring them back. You should know better, this isn't the first time that we have lost someone important." the other him said coldly.

"SHUT IT, JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" he shout back yet it did nothing to stop the other him.

"With the death of the regiment we have lost everything that matters to us. What does it matter if this is a trap? We have nothing else to lose. We have no family, no love once left, and no one we care about that are still alive. All we have left is duty and duty alone." the other him said.

"And duty we have faithfully carried out for to long without a break. So does it matter that we are in someone else dream? They wouldn't mind right?"

"Yes they will." he said, firmly.

"So come with me and we'll return to our own dream." the other him said, with a knowing smile.

"Well?" it asked after a few minutes of watching his own eyes dart between him and the family behind him. He could hear the cries of joy that they released as they played with each other as a family.

"I..."

"Are we going or not?" the other him said, clearly impatient at his indecision.

"Go" the other him said softly "this is nothing more then a dream. Duty does not matter here..." he didn't wait for the other him to finish. The sword that he always carried was released and he took off unfortunately he did not hear the rest of what he said. If he had he would never have left the sword behind.

The other man watched his conscious mind introduce himself before he joined the family and their own activities. He couldn't help but feel a sad smile cross his face for it knew that this wasn't going to last. It was aware of the fact that the daemon was slowly eating his soul and just taking the time because it wanted some fun before killing him.

There was nothing that he could do but hope that this little girl magic and her memories were enough to stop the corruption of the foul heretic or if that wasn't possible then it well left him only one option.

And so with that through it fade out and walked back into his own dreams to fight a good fight before death come for him.

* * *

><p><strong>M<strong>s. Goon was a tired healer and a tired women. She was tired of using her water magi to heal the wounds of others and she had a good reason for this. It was a family tradition for these born with an to water to join the army where there skills could be put to use good use. Of course, that was after undergoing training to ensure that said water magi knew all the knowledge that her family had collected over the years. So it was when her family discovered this, her fate when it was discovered, out of five sisters and brothers, her element was water.

It was also traditional for said water magi to become the next family head but that wasn't going to happening. All because war and the folly of a nobleman who pissed off the elf. She had returned home to find nothing.

The death of her family was caused by the folly of another noble actions which in the end had only brought on a one side war with the elves. Who simply killed the foolish noble, his whole family, and anyone else who got in the way before returning to their own lands.

She tried to stop her thoughts from wondering any further but she was unsuccessful. She was laying down at her bad which was located in a room that was connected to the infirmary. She wasn't surprise to find this, when she first arrived here considering her past experience in the east. There was nothing that she could do stop these memories from flooding into her mind once again, the only thing that she could do was to delay and that she did by slowly raising from her bed. She slowly left her room and made her way to the infirmary windows, each step was painful reminder of her age.

She remembered her time as a child and playing with her brothers and sisters under the stars at home. Yet, she told herself as she stared at the stars, these memories will forever remain nothing but a memory. She thought, as her mind remembered the past.

She only learnt the truth after the war yet the truth did not bring her to any acts of revenge. Her time as a water magi during the course of the war healing soldiers from the edge of death and listing to them calling out to loved ones had long robbed her of any desire for revenge.

The truth that she discovered amides the sea of suffering that she could not save everyone was the lesson she'd learnt from her experience in the war and the foundation of her decision to move westward into lands where it was said that there was no war. She'd left everything behind to come here seeking peace but it was all pointless. She had learnt over the course of life here that there was never such a thing as peace. What they called peace was nothing more then a pause between wars giving everyone a chance to rearm themselves and get ready for the next one.

She told herself, as she looked to the most recent prove of this; the familiar that had been summon by Ms. Valliere. She could tell that he was a soldier, as only a soldier would have a body covered in scars. True, these scars were unlike any that she'd seen, but it did not change the fact that the man before her was a boy who'd seen the too many battlefields.

The thought brought tears to her eyes as she realized that boy was the same age as her younger brother when she left for the academy.

She tired to hold back her tears but she failed and tears flowed freely intermixed with a soft howl of pain that escaped her lips and she fell to her ground, her legs unable to support her. Why? Why? does everything seem to come back to hurt her? She'd come east to escape the pain and suffering only to find more here in the west.

That was why she was here at the academy, so that she cold hide her true skills and not to be sent to the battlefield yet the battlefield had come to her. Why? Why couldn't the fate leave her alone, she just wanted to be forgotten and hidden from the world ..yet...

She could not say nor think anything for a while as all the pain that she'd kept hidden within her heart finally break out and flooded her body and mind. She did not knew how long she cried for but the length did not matter to her in the end. When the last of her sorrow and tears left her; she forced her mind away from the past and stood up so that she was looking at the soldier again. If anyone was to look at her face at that moment they would see nothing more then a professorial face.

It been a long time since she used any of real skills and it showed, she thought, looking down at her hands. It's been almost ten years since she'd started working here at the academy, during that time. She never once had any need to use any of her medial spells that she'd learnt from her family.

She was tired, way to tired, for someone with such high will power such as her yet the thought did not bother her at all because she was tired of it all. She was tired of seeing the wounded, tired of healing people, tired of seeing death as it took the souls of these she could not save. She was tired of it all yet despite this, she still saved the soldier before her. Why? Why did she save a soldier life one who would only go on to kill others and bring them suffering? Why did she a broken old water magi save him?

Because it is what you were trained to do and what your family had always done, a voice in her mind said. That's not enough, that reason alone is not enough. There has to be more; a better reason than that alone another voice argued.

No she told herself, remembering the words of her mother, once she said along ago.

"We are healers no more no less, we heal our enemies and friends for we prize life above all." she said.

The words brought a rare smile to her face, yes that was why she was a water magi, she was a healer no more no less. That was why, she'd spent a massive amount of her will power to heal the soldier before. She thought, as she made her way back to her bed. She needed some sleep as she closed her eyes and she entered the world of dreams. She did not see the sun raise into the morning sky.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! :D thank you for taking the time to read my story. Also kudos to Angry Santo for Beta reading, who with his help this chapter grammar is far better compared to chapter 1-4. So thank you :D Also any mistake you find is my fault and not anyone else. :D**

**OK so down to business, this chapter took this long to post because of; real life, beta reading, and plot thinking time. The third reason took up most of my time. Why? Because of Wardes, while i had a outline for the story ready. He wasn't include in any of it because i planed to kill him off but after thinking about it. I have decide to keep him alive rather then kill him off. So he will live for now.**

**So now that done, i present to you chapter 5.0 :D well not really it's more like 5.3 but who cares right?**

The Long War – Chapter 5

Viscount Jean-Jacqures Francis de Wardes or better known as Captain Wardes of the Tristain Griffin Knights had been sent ahead by the princess to scout the academy and make sure that everything was safe for her arrival, yet the mere thought of the possibility only left him with a harsh grin.

He'd been in country long enough to know that there was never any point in doing so wherever the princess visited anywhere inside her own country. The people loved her to the point that it was unlikely that anyone would try to assassinate her.

Now he was sitting outside at the front of the academy waiting for the princess to arrive. There had been nothing to do thus far in the morning but wait for the princess. This was nothing new for him so slowly he allowed his body to relax and a smile to cross his face as he watched the commoners at work. He smiled and exchanged a few words with them, wherever a few of them worked up the nerve to talk to him. He made sure to keep a lighthearted tone in his voice, yet this was nothing more than a facade that he'd created along ago to hide his true desires and so ensure the easy manipulation of others.

The sight before him was a familiar one. Commoners working hard, Nobles hardly working, a sight repeated countless time across the country.

He could see the likely outcome, if things didn't change between commoners and nobles soon the nobles were all going to be nothing more than rotting bodies. Yet this did not matter to him: they could kill each other to their hearts content for all he cared.

What mattered to him was his mother and her fate, back at home in the east, where humankind true enemy waited for them to be crushed. He remembered his mother, every detail of her lovely appearance seared with exquisite detail in his memories, before she went to the Holy Land on that damned expedition.

She was like any other mother; caring, loving, and always over protective of her children. In his case, it was him and his brother who were born into a family that could trace it's beginning back to a place called Earth. Yet these stories were nothing more than legend with no foundation on reality, as their family could never find any proof that such a place existed.

Yet it did not stop his family nor the others from searching for it. The simple fact was that while many of the families held true to the promise, of holding the line against the elves. They were still human and at peace, more or less, as such curiosity could not be ignored.

He'd didn't remember a lot beside many arguments between her mother and other members of the other families that more or less possessed the same curiosity as her. The deep desire to find out the truth and whether or not, Earth truly existed. Of course, they had checked everywhere on the human side of the border which left only the elf side. Yet every attempt by his mother and like minded others to send an expedition was shot down by the rest on the grounds that there was no evidence to support launching such an expedition.

The closest they got to finding an answer was when they found a crazed elf in their lands, mumbling the same phrase over and over again, in a language they could not understand. However, he did say something in their language before death took him. These were the words that took his mother from him. Soon after the death of said elf, an expedition into the Holy Land was organized, the best men were chosen along with the best equipment that the families had available.

Everything had been done to ensure that the expedition would be successful, but it was all for naught.

The expedition failed and she was the only survivor to make it back, unfortunately she had gone mad by then, just like the elf that they had found. The other families were informed and were disappointed to learn that the expedition had failed, but failure did not mean the end. All the families increased the production of weapons, worked to expand the army, and attempted to solidify their borders. Further attempts were made to understand the weapons of their forefathers. Funds were spent to find the means to recreate them.

He smiled, at the thought, yes by the standards of the west. Many of the families and even his own could be considered nobles but such trivial details meant nothing out in the east, title meant nothing in a land where a mage could just as easily be killed as a commoner by a single elf. So just as a musket was a tool of war, a mage was no difference. He or she was nothing more then another tool of war.

This simple fact, learnt long ago, meant that none of this bullshit belief that nobles were superior then commoners ever took hold in the east.

There were two key reason for the research into understanding and developing similar weapons as their forefathers. One was range and the second was power. As much as a mage can scream at the top of their lungs that they are superior, the simple truth of the matter was they were not. A fully trained and powerful mage may be unstoppable at close range but it was a different story at long range. This was where commoners and their weapons came in.

They, the families, and the rest of the commoners in the east had better weapons than anyone, at least according to the last letter he got from his brother, which was two years ago. According to it, they had developed "rifling", his brother had even gone to the trouble of describing all the details but as far as he was concerned it meant that commoners and their weapons had better range now.

Thus the standard tactics developed by his family and the others which used commoners in a support role while mages closed in to fight the elf, or elves depending on how many they were fighting. In the case, where mages were not available, then commoners resulted to two main tactics, attempted to snipe the elf, aiming for the head or by playing a game of attrition with said elf. This game would last as long as the commoners had ammo for their weapons, maintained a high rate of fire, and hit the elf with every shot as for the elf it was a simple case of how much will power they possessed. Of course in such a case that the commoners were facing an army of elves then the normal tactics were to snipe and hit them from long range rather than close in or allow the elves to close in.

The ability of an elf to use a spell known as 'Counter' was the driving reason for the development of these tactics. The spell was capable of stopping anything they throw at an elf and made them a pain in the ass to kill.

These tactics rarely killed an elf but they were still used. The reason was simple really, it pinned a elf down, it help also that they had massive egos and generally stood their like fool. The another reason was simple, these tactics should be working! if not for their bloody Counter spell, they would all be dead within seconds of the first shot.

The second point, power, was by far the key driving force behind the attempt to understand and recreate their forefathers weapons and the need to do so was proven quickly when a small group of elves were sent to kill his mother.

The small group of elves attacked the house, only to run into his family own person guards, these were the best of the best and originally they were equipped with the best weapons which meant muskets but after the failure of the expedition. It was decide by his father, that these troopers would be equipped not with muskets but with the very same weapons that their forefathers had once used. So that they could ensure the safety of his family.

These weapons were unlike any that he'd seen, they were all made of metal. Many of the weapons had a trigger and barrel just like a musket but there were items that they did not recognize yet thankfully, one of their family traditions was ensuring that everyone learnt, how to speak, read, and write in their forefathers language. And that they forefathers had the foresight to write down, how to use their weapons.

Father choose the most powerful weapons, something called a hotshot lasgun while the rest of the guard were equipped with lasguns.

There was some complaint at the weight of the weapons but these dead the moment they saw, the result on the enemy.

His father's decision was made only a few days before the attack but the other families didn't waste time in showing their disapproval on the grounds of disrespecting their forefathers memories, but their opinions changed after they saw the aftermath of the attack.

The elves were a pain to kill in close quarters yet their forefathers weapons proved their worth. The hotshot lasgun were powerful enough to blow through even their self-protection spell. While lasgun prove only to be able to do so when they were fire in massed volleys. But even doing so, it took only one or two volleys before it overwhelm their self-protection spell. Hell, he smiled, once their self-protection spell was down, their armor were crushed with ease.

He remembered hearing one story from one of the troopers. When the elves realized that they could not complete their objective, they began to withdraw under fire. The troopers, thanks to the new weapons, were able to place the withdrawing elves under heavy fire to the point that only two managed leave the main house alive and after a firefight at the main gate only one escaped. The first elf was hit by a volley of lasgun fire, leaving nothing more than cooked meat. While other elf escaped but only after his self-protection had been broken, a lucky shot, from a hotshot, ensured said elf was missing an arm.

The next day was spent morning the dead but the weeks after that, were spent in celebrating their victory. It proved his father right, it proved the wisdom of their forefathers, raised morals, verified that elves were nothing without their so called "Counter" spell, and that they could be killed.

For him these events meant only: hatred. They dared attempt to silence his mother, even if she is insane. She was still her mother and no one had a right to end her life, no one. Yet he couldn't always control his hatred, despite his training. He didn't just hate elves; he hated his life without her, the thought, remind him of when he was younger.

When he often made his way down to the her cell, where his family kept her down in the basement, in the hopes that she would magically have recovered, on her own, but that was never the case. Yet back in those days of his youth, he would spend endless hours of the night in the basement with her, doing nothing more than staring at her hoping that she would recover. But she never would, gone was the warm smile that used to grace her face, gone was the love, her mind ravaged and broken, and sanity decimated.

The only thing that was left was a mad woman who would scream for hours on end, even when she was asleep. Or in the case when she was awake, whispering words that did not make any sense to him or anyone else.

As the years passed and he got older, his hope slowly faded into nothingness and a new emotion took its place, it was bitterness. It didn't take long for the bitterness to remind him of the hatred within his heart and equally it wasn't long before it turned into a compelling desire for revenge that only got stronger as he grew older and his mother's condition got worse.

It got so bad that they were forced to keep her unconscious 24/7, as any time that she was awake was spent screaming nonstop about the return of the dryadalis stultitiam.

His family and the others families were aware of what she meant by these words, but they dismissed her ranting due to her condition, as no proof of the dryadalis stultitiam had ever been found by their family or any of the other families. But thinking about it all these year later, he remembered, his mother telling him the story behind it, when he was little. The dryadalis stultitiam, she said, was the reason that the Star Federation was no more, for it paid the price of the mistakes committed by those who come before them. That, she said, was why the elves were hated, and why their family and the others held the line against the elves in accordance with the pact made long ago between them and the children of the void. Until then, they the families would hold the line, no matter the cost.

This interest in his mothers stories, lead him to dive into his families old records in an attempt to find proof, or, barring that, at least understand their history and get as close to the truth as possible. It wasn't easy, but with his desire for revenge providing the fuel. It had been no problem. In the end, what he discovered only deepened his hatred of the elves and left him wondering why the children of the void where taking so long to return.

He learnt the truth and of what the Star Federation truly was, the true reason that the children of the void were allowed to leave with many of the civilians, and why the elves controlled the Holy Lands. Yet this did not bother him back then, as the first most concern was finding a way to heal his mother, but his goals changed over time.

He'd shared what he learnt with his brother, but he'd never truly believed him, yet that did not stop him. He kept on going until he'd memorized every word in the records, but in the end. They did not answer his question; how to cure his mother of her condition. His decision to go west was based on the last of his innocent hopes that their was a cure for his mother's condition.

He'd thought that people who were able to re-grow limbs would have the ability to repair the mind. A soft bitter laugh escaped his lips. They couldn't, no one here in the west could. That fact alone only deepened his hatred of the elves and strengthened his resolve to ensure that the promise was kept.

The promise, according to his family library, was an agreement between the five children of the void and the remnants of the military units of the Federation. An agreement that they would be allowed to go onto the west build up, and then return to their aid while they would hold the line. Yet his discovery of how long the families had upheld their duty, and the level of technology here in the west, only further fueled his wrath.

The weapons technology here was far more primitive then anything in the east. They had 6000 years to prepare yet they had the worst weapons technology out of any country. This discovery only added more bitterness and hatred to the overflowing cup that was his heart.

He was about to head back to the east, when he got a letter from his brother that they were at war against the elves. The elves were hitting them with everything that they had, but they were holding. In the letter, his brother, also asked if the children of the void would keep the promise made long ago.

The words, of the letter, sound desperate, completely unlike the brother he remembered; a brother who didn't believe in fairy tales. Yet enough for him, enough to begin seeing a path to fulfill his desires.

The families had upheld their end of the pact for 6000 years and yet they still wait for the return of the oath breakers. A bitter smile crossed his face, the families had long lost count of the years and the only portion of the pact which the rest of the families remembered correctly was holding the line against the elves. The rest of it was buried in the old records of each family.

As for the children of the void, it didn't take long for him to work out that they had long forgotten about the pact that their ancestors made with them.

So, with difficultly, he set off to find the children of the void and to make them remember the promise their ancestors made long ago. But what awaited him on that road was nothing more than more bitterness, which turned into outright hatred of the west.

His first stop was to the south yet the only thing he found was a fool who wanted peace! Peace, a peace that was brought and paid for with the blood of his family. How dare he talk of peace, when it had not been his people whose blood was shed for his so called peace. He'd left Romalia with nothing but the first true taste of hate within his heart for the children of the void and their people.

He had high hopes for Albion for two reasons, because according to legend it once rested over the holy land and secondly because it traditionally had the most powerfully air force out of the five nations founded by the children of the void. The first raised the possibly that it could be moved while the second combined with the first would easily turn the nations into the largest moving fortress/air base ever. Yet unsurprisingly his hopes were pointless.

The ruler of Albion was nothing more than a fool and a playboy. And while this annoyed him, what truly infuriated him was when he asked about the void, the king's answer was nothing more than boisterous laughter, the man explaining in between wheezes that the element had long been lost.

Dismayed at his answer. He'd asked the next question, what was the fate of the family that had originally used the void. The silence, the sight of the king turning pale with fear, the hesitance in his voice, and the shame in the king eyes said it all. The power of the void no longer flowed in their veins, their forefathers had rebelled against the rightful heirs. It took a great deal of effort on his part not to kill the fools then and there, but it in the end, he was successful, and he let the man live. Thinking of recent events, he allowed himself some small consolation in that the king will not live for much longer.

The only one left was Germania but he had no hope of ever finding the heir to that nation as they had long been overthrown. The fact that these commoners dare rebel against their rightful ruler irritated him greatly, but there was nothing he could do, it was clear that the heir was long lost. He had considered stopping by this nation on his journey, but there was no need to, as unlike the other nations, it did not matter. Its armed forces were nothing more than a speed bump that could be crushed at any time.

Thus it left Gallia, which thankfully was still ruled by its rightful heir. Yes it was true that said heir had undesirable qualities but that did not matter to him. It reminded him of a saying that he'd read in the family library, the end justify the means.

And his end was to ensure that the promise made long ago by the children of the void was kept. For the sake of revenge, for his family, for his brother…and for his mother.

If he were to be honest with himself, he had long ago stopped caring about anything other than his hatred and revenge, hatred against the children of the void for forgetting the promise, hatred against their civilians and their peace, a peace, paid for by the blood of his family, hatred against these who come before, against the nobles, against everything that weren't human, but most of all hatred against the elves. It was their actions that brought him here away from his brother and robbed his mother of her sanity.

That hatred was focused, thanks to his training. It was the reason that he served a madman, the reason that he was set to marry Louise, the rightful heir of this country, and it was the reason that he was the best swordsman in the east.

"The princess is here!" he heard one of the commoners shout out in excitement. It wasn't long before others looked at her for an explanation. They saw the same scene and soon they joined the increasing crowd of commoners running around like little children. Some ran off into the academy to warn others, while others prepared the front of the academy for the princess' arrival.

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><p>Commoners rushed throughout the academy following the plans led out by the headmaster over the course of the night. Commoners rushed to wake students and teachers while others rushed to the main hall to get everything ready, while others yet remain at the front of the academy making sure that nothing was out of place.<p>

So it was with surprising speed that both students and commoners were able to get ready in time, heading towards the main hall to await the princess, while the most senor teachers waited to welcome her at the front of the academy. Yet despite the headmaster's best laid plans, there were a number of things that he should have considered but failed to. It was to have a number of interesting results.

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><p>A man once known as snake woke in the arms of a thief and kissed her softly in the lips, and whispering words that he did not have the courage to say to her face. They were words that he never thought that he would ever say to anyone, considering the sins of his past. He'd fought all kinds of things in his life, and in the course of this, he had never thought that he would ever find love.<p>

Love was for those who stayed at home, safe and sound from the dangers of the world beyond the nations borders. Love was not for soldiers, men with the blood of others on their hands. No, love was not for them, for they give up their right to love so that they could serve and protect these left at home, so that _they_ could find love.

Or at least, that was his belief, he thought, as he stared at Longueville's beautiful sleeping face. It was unlike any that he'd ever seen, he thought remembering the past. Faces flashed through his mind of men, women, and children, each face filled with pain of one form or another. When he looked at Longueville's face, he found peace.

That was when he finally noticed the sun ray coming though the window behind Longueville. _So_, he thought, _it__'s __morning__huh?__Well__then__in__that__case.__I__should__get__something__to__drink__and__get__ready__for__the__day._ But before that, he had something to do first before leaving Longueville's side.

He give her a soft kiss again on her forehead, only this time it lasted longer, and then slowly he left her side and headed to his workshop. It wasn't like there was a lot to his place of residence here at academy, it was only made up of his room and his workshop. That was about it. No more, no less.

He left most of his things besides his personally items out in the workshop due to the fact that it was more roomy. That said, the reason he was leaving the room to get a drink was because he left it outside in his workshop so that he had it close by when he needed a shot when he was working. The way he'd arranged his workshop was simply, everything that personally belonged to him was placed at the back close to his room while everything that was related to work was placed at the front of the workshop and close to the door that lead to the rest of the academy.

Unfortunately, this included the drinks so he made his way to the front and poured himself a drink and drained it. The alcohol hit his system and jumped started it, washing the morning haze from his body. It was then that a commoner slammed the door open.

"Sir, Colbert the..." she said and then continued softly as she turned red as a tomato and her eyes wondered downwards unable to choose between looking at his manhood or at the ground"...the princess has arrived early and everyone is required to be down at the main hall as soon as possible."

The next few minutes were spent by the both of them starring at each other unable to say anything as both were surprised at the sight of each other. On the one hand you had a commoner who was still young and her cherry so to speak had yet to be popped, and on the other you had a naked ex-soldier. It finally come to an end when the cup in the snake's hand came crushing down to the ground, the sound helping to bring both of them out of their surprise and shock.

"What was that?" he asked.

"The princess has arrived and everything one is required down at the main hall." she said, turning even redder.

"oh."

"I've will be leaving now." she said, after throwing another last look at the professor's manhood and as she closed the door. She turned even redder, as she ran down the hall and towards her room in the commoner residence in the academy, forgetting that she was meant to wake the other teachers.

"oh" he said, his mind not processing the commoner's words.

"OH" he said, realizing her words.

The princess was here, that was right, the princess was here…crap.

He took off to his room and quickly woke Longueville and told her that the princess was here. She didn't need to be told a second time before she, like him, grasped their nearest clothes and got dressed as fast as possible. Together the two of them scrambled from his place and headed downstairs and towards the princess.

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><p>In another part of the academy, in the headmaster's office, a single commoner had rushed half-way across the academy so that he could inform the headmaster, only to find him sleeping and his well known familiar standing on its master desk facing him. The commoner stood there confused for a moment unsure what to do at the sight before him.<p>

The headmaster's familiar was there in front of the headmaster's sleeping head which was resting on his desk but the commoner quickly recovered himself and rather than listing to the soft voice in the back of his mind that was telling to ignore the familiar and wake the headmaster up himself. He simply walked in until he stood before the familiar and informed the familiar of the princess' arrival and then stood there starring at the familiar waiting for a response.

He did this due to spending some time watching the interactions between the students and their familiars, and as far as he could tell, they were intelligent, so therefore he believed that the headmaster's familiar should be able to wake the headmaster up without causing any problems. Now, there was nothing wrong with his reasoning, but there was one unforeseen problem. He was not aware of the fact that the familiar was nothing more than a reflection of the mage. Thus the familiar's reaction of simply telexing and doing, what seem like doing nothing, was misinterpreted by the commoner for something else, disrespect towards the princess and the royal family.

There was also something else that he failed to considered due to the simple fact that he wasn't a mage. The bond between familiar and master was a two way connections not a one way connection. Thus Chuchu was fully aware of how tired his mater felt at the moment after spending most of the night getting things ready for the princess' arrival. Besides, Chuchu thought, the princess will understand. Thus Chuchu did not get worked up nor worried at the commoner's message, besides they have known each other for a long time. She wouldn't mind, right?

While Chuchus thoughts wandered, the commoner's temper rose until it broke, and the reasons? There were many, but in the end it come down to two reason, a short temper and his pride his own country.

What happened next would become known as a fairy tale to future generations. But before it becomes this, there was a real tale behind it all. The commoner jumped the familiar with murderers intent yet missed, Chuchu on the other hand was confused at the sudden turn of events. He could not understand how this fight had come about, nor did he feel like fighting it so he avoided the commoner. Chuchu' confusion was soon replaced with laughter and amusement as he watched the commoner making a mess of his master's domain in his attempts at catching him.

But that amusement quickly disappeared when the commoner begin throwing larger objects at him, and so it was from that moment on that the fight truly started.

Windows were smashed, books were ripped or on the floor, small drops of blood were splattered on the floor, the door was broken, and in the middle of this all was Chuchu standing atop the commoner like a conquering hero and making a speech that only his master could understand.

Yet strangely, the headmaster did not stir from his sleep until the fight was over, yet that did not matter, considering that he could feel his temper skyrocketing through the roof. Osmond was a man that had lived a long time, and in the course of his life, he'd come to value the items he'd collected over the years. These items he'd brought with him, the most dangerous placed inside the school vault while the less dangers items were placed here in his office.

Thus the reason for his anger at the sight that was before him, this wasn't the first time that this had happened to him, but this did not matter to him as his anger grew. He was about to start screaming at his familiar by shouting a simple question "What hell happened?" when he finally felt the warmth of the sun and the rays of sunlight bathe his office, and remembered that the princess was due to arrive today. So within seconds his anger disappeared replaced by concern, worry, panic, and so without another word, he rushed out of his office leaving the conquering hero alone in his office, tired and winded from the fight.

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><p>In the residential area, Siesta woke as she heard of the sounds of her fellow commoners rushing about like headless chickens. They screamed; their voices filled with excitement and happiest that their beloved princess would grace them with her presence.<p>

As far as the commoners residence was concerned, this meant that she woke up to the sounds of men and women screaming commands, and cries for help at each other as they worked overtime to get everything ready for breakfast.

_The princess is visiting the academy today_ she thought. Slowly and using every single inch of strength she had, she forced herself into a seating position. She didn't feel well and a voice in her mind told her that she should stay in her bed, but she did not want to. Not because she was a fool, no, it was due to duty and duty alone that she forced herself to her feet.

She felt a wave of weakness and pain. And tears rolled down her face, yet she did not allow it to overcome her. She had a duty to do her job and so with that determination she forced the door open and made her way to the kitchen, where she usually helped out serving food to students at the main hall and later during the day out at the academy garden, which was nothing more than a misleading name for it.

The academy garden were not a true garden per say, rather it was more like a court yard then a garden, but she didn't really care about that, it was the academies problem as far as she was concerned. If they wanted to call it a garden so be it, there was no need to make a fuss over it.

She didn't feel well, in fact every step she'd taken so far was painful, and proving to be a heavy task, yet she forced herself forward with nothing more than her belief in her duty, to do her best in everything that she did. It was a work ethics that was a result of her country upbringing, where hard work, good work ethics, and trust, were required in order to survive away from the city.

So she forced herself forward with each step with nothing more than her will until she reached the kitchen. She was about to open the door to the kitchen when she finally noticed that her family heirloom which always she always carried was missing. Panic was the first emotion she felt yet it quickly disappeared when she remembered what she last did the day before, she was washing her boss' familiars' clothed down at the rear entrance to the kitchen.

She took a deep breath and opened the door to the kitchen, the first sound that she heard was that of her friend Chief Marteau shouting orders at the kitchen hands to get moving, with getting the food out of the kitchen and into the main hall. No one noticed her, as she entered through the kitchen door nor did anyone else notice her when she entered the staircase which lead down to the rear kitchen door.

Once there, she opened the door and was assaulted with a cold presence, yet it was nothing compared to what her body was experiencing. She felt weak, especially her legs, again she was sweating profusely, and her body felt tired, as if she'd spent a whole day working out in the fields.

_There_ she thought, _thank__you__emperor_. As her eyes spotted the golden heirloom laying there in a pond on the stone floor. She picked it up and returned it to her pocket. Yet as she did so she could feel her bodies burden lighten, as if a heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders. But it did not change the fact that she was tired, and so she finally began making her way back up the stairs to the kitchen. But it took longer than it usually did, as she was forced to pause now and then to rest. In short, it was slow going and by the time that she made it to the top, the action was over. No one was in the kitchen but the Chief finally noticed her.

"Siesta, what are you doing out of bed?" he asked, worried.

"Work." she said, as she made her way to the nearest seat and sat down. She did her best not to show how tired and unwell she felt, a task she dreadfully failed.

"But you were almost...I mean you weren't feeling well the day before." Marteau quickly corrected himself.

"It's nothing major Chef." she said, forcing a smile on her face, yet it did nothing to change the Chefs opinion on the matter.

"No, you have to rest." Marteau said, firmly.

"No it's nothing, I feel better." she said, with a forced smile and with what little strength she had. She tried to get up, but her legs give out and her body went crushing down back into her seat.

"No, you rest." Marteau said, more forcibly.

"But the princess is here, I have a duty to do." she said, protesting.

"Duty to who my dear Siesta, I have been around people from your little village before." the Chief said concerned.

"To the emperor." she said, tiredly with a smile. The Chief couldn't hold it in and simply laughed at Siesta's statement.

"So you believe the stories." Marteau ask, interested. She said nothing in return to his query and Marteau said nothing in turn to her but simply thought about what her silence meant. It meant that she believed in them, the stories which where nothing more than stories told to children, no one had proof that what they said was true. Nor did anyone have a chance to find that proof as the church had outlawed this by declaring it heresy.

The decision had not been taken lightly, he thought, if he remembered his history right. The decision had been made to end the rounds of civil wars and unrest within the five nations soon after they were created. No one remembered the true reasons for those wars, as they had been lost in the seas of time, the only thing anyone remembered was the wars themselves and the horrors they brought home.

It was this decision that lead them to believe in the founder, and all the shit that came with it and which the nobles justified their rule over them, the commoners. Yet that was long in the past and there was nothing that he could do about it, but this did not mean that he agreed with the nobles. No, he didn't, that was the reason that he'd never reported Siesta or anyone from her village to the church, but that wasn't the only reason.

The foremost reason was simple, he liked the people from her village.

"Yes, to the emperor!" he said, with a smile.

"Well then since you're feeling unwell. I'll make you something and if you feel better later on then I'll allow you to work at the gardens like you always do." he told her, cheerfully and with a smile, and just like that he began to prepare breakfast for his friend using the leftovers.

Siesta did nothing but watched her friend. True, that she was the handmaid of Ms. Valliere but she'd been her handmaid long enough to know that she should not help until her help was requested. And so she spent most of her time helping out in the academy, but mostly in the kitchen.

In a strange way, she thought, they were almost the same. They both refused help until their aid was asked for, it but unlike Ms. Valliere, she had less pride to get in the way. Where Ms. Vallieres pride come from her been born a noble, hers come her from duty and duty alone to mankind.

Yet she admitted sometimes that it wasn't enough. That was why she carried this relic, she thought, bring it out so that she could see it despite the dangers that it meant. That was why she took it from the family caves, she needed something bigger then her to believe in sometimes because duty just wasn't enough sometimes. This moment, she thought, was a perfect example...she didn't feel good at all.

True that ever since she picked up the relic and gotten to sit down that she'd been feeling better but that did not change the fact that she was not feeling well. Her body felt tired, wasted, and drained of energy. It felt like a day spent in the fields yet that wasn't only it. Her body felt as if it didn't belong to her as if she was a ghost looking on while someone else was using...no could it be true? She asked herself.

She forced the thought out of her mind and placed the relic back into her pocket making sure that the Chief did not see it. No there was no point to fear that possibility, at least not yet, she told herself, they have not been seen so there was no need to fear their present but it did nothing to stop the cold coursing through her body.

Lucky for her, it want away as she ate breakfast and warmth returned to her body along with her usual happy personally. By midday she was back at work, the events of the morning buried in her mind.

* * *

><p>In another part of the academy, a little pink haired girl woke up from her dreams. It felt strange to her now that she was awake. She saw the sun rays flood her room yet she could not feel a thing, she couldn't feel the usual cold that assaulted her in morning nor could she feel the rays of the sun on her skin.<p>

She held her hands out to allow the rays of the sun to play along her arms, and still she could not feel anything. _This is strange, why can't I feel a thing?_, she thought. She dismissed the thought, she remembering that today was the day that the princess was due to arrive so it meant that she would be unlikely to talk to the headmaster about leaving the academy. That meant that she'll have to be around a day or two before finally getting a chance to talk to him. Then she waited for the anger but she didn't feel anything.

That was strange, she thought, why didn't she feel angry or annoyed like she usually would at this revelation? Did something change during the nigh...wait there was this voice at night that she remembered hearing, she couldn't place it nor remember what it said but she felt as if she'd always known it. Yet more importantly she remembered completing the familiar binding ritual last night.

_Yes!_ she thought, happily she was a real mage just like the rest of them. _Yes, yes, yes, YES!_ She had her own familiar now so that meant that she wasn't a zero anymore wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, she told herself. The voice had said something about been a void mage. Wait, that couldn't be possible…could it?

That element had been lost for 6000 years, there was no way that she could use it right? Yes that must be it. There was no way that she would be able to use the same element as the founder, she told herself. Yet it did nothing to stop her from grasping onto anything which justifies the return of her pride.

So without another thought, she quickly got ready and headed to the main hall, which according to the chatter outside her door, was where everyone was going in order to have breakfast with her. She couldn't wait to see the princess again after all these years. She was aware that the princess was mostly likely going to be busy touring the academy, but that didn't mean that it would stop her from visiting her after hours. She thought to herself as she entered the main and seat down at her usual place, which meant where no one but her on her table. The closest person seated to her was Kirche and her boyfriends, and Tabitha who as usual was reading a book.

Now she only had to wait, so anxiously she waited for the princess to arrive.

Throughout these events, she did not notice the whispers of her fellow students as they told each other the latest rumors about her, nor did she notice the discomfort that some of them displayed towards her by moving away from her. Students just couldn't place a finger on it but it was best described as unnatural.

* * *

><p>The princess felt nervous, she always did before it was time for her to be in front of her people in public. True she was used to it now, but that did not mean anything to her as she could never stop herself from worrying about the possibility of making a fool of herself in front of everyone. This was the one lesson that she could not master, no matter how much practice she's had in the last year or two.<p>

And so it was that as her carriage pulled up into the front of the academy, she was greeted with the sight of Wardes waiting for her and opening the door when the carriage came to a stop, and the sight of Colbert, Osmond, and his new assistant running towards her.

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of all three of them out of breath and not bothering to hide it, as she existed the carriage. She noticed that Osmond looked the same as always but the sight of the next two individuals simply widened her smile. It looked like she had chosen a good day to come, after all she liked surprises.

"Princess, I didn't not think that you would come at this time." Osmond stated.

"Osmond" she said with a smile "We've know each other for a long time, you should know that I like surprises" she said with a sweet soft tone.

"Yes, I do remember princess, but please remember that I am not the same man." Osmond said.

"Oh come on, Osmond the Wise. You are still the same, the only difference is your age." she said, in a playful tone.

"True, enough." Osmond replied, cheerfully.

"So what is the plan Osmond? I know that you have something planed. After all you didn't live this long for nothing." She said still with the same playful tone.

"The plan?" Osmond said confused, before his mind kicked into gear "I'm sorry princess but I did not think that you would come this easily in the morning. I thought that you would have come later around mid-day. After all, I seem remember that you love to sleep in." Osmond finished, in a mischievous tenor.

"I still do, Osmond but today is different, I plan to see an old friend. Then talk to you and a few other people after I finish playing house, and you know how long that will take."

"Yes, I do."

"So then, Osmond the Wise. What is the first order of business?" she asked.

"First and foremost princess, breakfast." Osmond the Wise said, as he made way for the princess and allowed her through to the academy. The headmaster then glared at his assistant and his right hand man disapprovingly. He was about to tell them to go and fix their appearances but the princess beat them to it.

"Colbert and Ms. Longueville you may want to take some time and clean up before coming to breakfast." she said over her shoulder, her amusement clear in her voice.

"Don't worry Osmond, let them be besides, it's not like they are the only ones who are tired." she said.

"Thank you, princess." the pair said at the same time.

"Don't worry, Colbert and Ms. Longueville. This isn't the first time that I've done this so it's nothing new. You may as well leave now and clean up before joining us at the main hall." she told them, with a soft laugh of amusement.

She and everyone present watched both individuals leave the princess' presence.

"You should join them, Osmond." she said.

"No thank you princess. I'm feeling well." Was the answer he gave her.

A soft cry of joy escaped her, as she heard the headmasters answer. She had know the headmaster for a long time now, wait, now that she thought it. That would make it, just over ten years since she'd meet him, she smiled at the thought.

"Come, Osmond." she said "This isn't the first time that I have done this to you. I know, you've just recently woken"

"That is true, princess but that is not a reason to be late, especially when a member of the royal family is visiting." the headmaster replied seriously.

"True, Osmond, but that does not change the matter at hand. I have known you for a long time, and I knew from past experience you don't like work or trouble at your age. It is after all the one reason that you are headmaster and not someone else." she said, still with a playful tone in her voice.

She did not get an answer to her statement but that did not matter to her. What did was the fact that she was no longer nervous as the exchange between them had allowed her to rid herself of her fears. Now, she felt that she could face the rest of the day as spent it in front of her nations youngest and its future.

_Yes_ she thought,_ I can do this_. She looked forward to being able to talk to her childhood friend later tonight. After that, maybe Louise and Wardes could spent some time together and get to know each other. Yet that was all things for later tonight, she still had to deal with the present.

"Well then my dear friend, what are you waiting for? Let us get started." she said, breaming a smile at the headmaster.


	6. Chapter 6

**OK this is the next chapter so good news this chapter is done and ready but it hasn**'**t been beta read yet and am posting it now become i am pretty sure that i have gotten all the errors in it but if there are indeed any mistake on it do let me know in the reviews and i will get around to it as time allow.**

**Also am in need of a new beta reader as Anger Santo, my current beta reader, has just messaged me that due to school, projects, and other stuff he can no longer be my beta reader anymore so if anyone want to be my beta reader than please let me know.**

**That said, chapter 7 is done and ready to go but will be posted later this week or next week at best as i will be doing my best to beta read it and make sure that there as little mistakes as possible in it before posting it online here. Also chapter 7 will finish the intro section/story arch for this story i will be taking some time to proof read the other chapters and improve them now while planning the next arch of this story which shouldn't take me long to do.**

**Again I am sorry for any mistake that pisses you off to the point that you wish to hunt me down and kick my face in but i will do my best to fix them sometime in the future and also improve my writing. Thank you for reading this fanfiction.**

**Please enjoy.**

**The Long War Chapter 6 Version 1.1 - Only sorry for the sad state of the chapter but haven't been feeling well the last few days. Anyways the changes in this version 1.1 are mostly just streamlining of the chapter events as it seem that i missed it while proof reading it which only proves my failure at proof reading once again. So please read now and hopeful this time around i've fixed everything. **

The Long War – Chapter 6

The familiar woke from his slumber, with a headache, nothing major just annoying. It remind of the once after a night of drinking only without the hangover.

He tired seating up however his body protested, in the form of pain that sweep through his body from head to toe. It was enough to force him back down to laying on the bed. It left him with nothing to do, he realized, as the pain faded. This was a first in a long time. So what to do he asked himself, as his eyes stared at the stone roof.

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He'd rest for a moment than try again, he decide, before opening them again and turned his head sightly to the right so that he could look out at the window.

It showed nothing more than a clear normal day, sunshine rained on down the land outside but the sight brought no comfort to him.

He reached down to his side, for his sword but found nothing, for a moment he panicked before he turned his head and found it resting there on top of a small table right next to his bed.

The sight of the batted sheath made him hesitate, for a moment, as a part of his heart hoped that it all was a dream. That his men were still alive but it was pointless his mind was already aware that it wasn't. So he closed his eyes, forcing these thoughts back to dept of his soul, and took a deep breath before reaching for his blade taking hold of it, the soft smooth sheath, rubbing against his skin.

He pulled the blade from it sheath, for the second time in its history and stared at it.

He'd been forced to use it in combat for the first time, in years, since it's partner broke during the V Run campaign five years ago. He remembered vaguely that he'd lost most of his weapons during the ensuring mass, when it become clear that they had failed to stop the summoning and he'd tried to get his man back to the drop ships. He tired to remember the details but they remind vague and unclear.

There was no point trying to force the memory to the forefront of his mind, he told himself, they will come in time. He brought his mind back to the blade before him.

The blade was nothing compared to the raw power of a power weapon especially a power sword but they were always in short supply. These blades were shaper, stronger, and better than some of the non-powered weapons he'd seen during his services with the Imperial Guard but they were also required care to remain sharp.

The short sword was a gift from his wife before his deployment and created by her own hands, the words "bella detesta matribus" engraved along the blade length and barely readable anymore. The blade was a master piece of creation and testament to her skill and her family commitment to the future of Domum and the Imperial.

It was a reverse-bladed short-sword, one that her family had been mass producing for two millennium for the armies of his home system, Domum. The cutting edge was sharp but delicate, so for this reason it was a reverse-blade design however the blade had one weakness it was useless against armored foes. Of course this wasn't a problem when the man behind the blade was trained to use it effectively.

The blades themselves had only gotten stronger with the arrival of the Imperial of Man, five centuries ago.

Huh, he thought, the arrival of the Imperial had saved them from total collapse. He was home home schooled on Domum history along with the actions of his family in ensuring that Domum had a human present by the time that the warp storms died down.

Domum was founded when his ancestors 50th fleet was caught in a wrap storm while in transit to Outpost Bravo which throw the fleet out into a random star system which they named Domum which meant 'Home' in some forgotten language.

The fleet barely survived the trip, out of eighty ships less than twenty made it through, the crews suffered massive losses, and the ships themselves were in no shape to leave the system. It seem that lucky was on there side, while they lost many of the warship many of the ships that survived were the fleet support ships which had enough supplies and equipment to enabled the survivors to build a settlement on the nearest habitable planet which they named Domum III.

They were lucky that the system which they found themselves had two habitable planet which give them room to recover and rebuild but it wasn't the end of their problems, he thought sadly, before placing the short-sword in its sheath and putting it on the side table again, next to his bad, and brought his mind back to the present.

First the legs, slowly he raised his leg, successfully and without another thought, he moved both sets until they were hanging from the side of the bed, he was upright, and the bottom of his feet was touching the cold stone floor. OK, now on to the hard par...wait. What happened to my uniform? He asked himself, confused, staring at the unfamiliar cloths covering him.

Wait of course, he felt like a fool, the locals must have taken it off him since it was covered in blood and given him these primitive once to wear, a scowl appeared at his face. Irritating, he thought, before he brought his mind back to the problem at hand.

OK one, two, three! He forced himself onto his feet and throw his hands forward so that they supported him by resting it, on the bed next next to his. OK pain not as painful but manageable good, he thought, slowly he removed his hands from the bed until he stood with no support.

He felt his body complain but he ignored it and reached for his sword, gripping it tightly in his hands before he turned to look out the window to his right. What he saw was nothing more than a stone wall, a single road, and endless forests. That was not good news for him.

That meant this world was a backwater with either the imperial governor of this planet likely up in orbit lording over everyone or this planet had yet to be claimed by the Imperil of Man. The frown on his face deepen, as he made his way to the double doors at the far end of the room.

He paused, to gather his breath and strength before pulling out the door. He heard the sounds of chatting voices and the laugher of teens, they did not pay attention to him at all nor did he care to pay attention to them. He closed the door behind him and entered the mass of students where no one paid attention to him at all.

* * *

><p>Henrietta was getting tired but hide it behind an dignified face, as befitting a princess, beside they almost done with the Fire Tower and than finally launch. Despite her weary state, she was excited, to be here at academy after all these years. It brought back memories of her visits with her mother and father when she was a child.<p>

It was especially nice to have breakfast in the main hall again, it reminded her of a better time with her parents when her father was still alive and his mother wasn't stricken with sorrow at his passing.

Breakfast prove to be an interesting experience, with the commoners lining the wall standing proud, the students seated waiting, and most of the teachers their on time, she remembered with a smile. It seem that a few of the commoners got a little too excited by her arrival that they forgotten to woke a few teachers. The group of late comers were clearly embarrassed but there were a few who cast furious glares at the general direction of the commoners lining both walls.

She offered them a kind smile while barely holding back her amusement at the sight. It seem that the state of these few angry teachers, wasn't helped by the fact that a dozen students across the room found it equivocally amusing. The only difference between them and her were they were clearly doing a rather poor job at hiding their amusement.

Onces the last of her amusement faded and the last of the teachers were seated, the introduction and welcome speech by both Osmond and her started which was than followed by breakfast.

It during this that she was finally able to get find the time to examine Louise unsurprisingly, it didn't take long to find her childhood thanks to her unique pink colored hair. The sight of her childhood friend brought a smile to her face which she concealed.

Louise physically looked fine, in fact, she didn't find anything wrong with her but she wasn't bind the behavior of the students around her childhood friend. She could tell that the students seating closes to her were uneasy and the few time that she got a chance to look at her face, it was blank of any expressions or emotions. That was not the face that she remembered. The sight did not bring any comfort to her but there was nothing that she could do about it for now.

After breakfast, she asked Osmond about the planned events for the day. It left her with a hunch that this 'grand tour of the academy' was Osmond way of getting revenge back at her, considering that it included a detailed tour of every room from top to bottom of every tower of the academy. She shot a probing look at the old man, along with a knowing smile on her face, but the old man said nothing his only reaction was to raise his eyebrows innocently at her before looking away.

The droning voice of Colbert brough her mind back to the present where she was been given a tour of the tour the Fire Tower by Colbert.

The next stop was the Earth Tower followed by the Water Tower but before that was lunch, she thought, as Colbert continued with his tour of the Fire Tower. Her mind filtering Colbert words for useful information while discarding the unnecessary information while maintaining an facial express of interest on her face, just as she learnt from mother.

* * *

><p>Mr Ventus was a man with a short temper and one who built his life around his pride as a noble. A man who found commoners irritating on a good day and repulsive to the point of beating them down, on bad days. Today was such a bad day. It didn't help that these last few days were also bad days as far as he was concerned.<p>

He took a sip of his tea, taking care to ensure that his face did not betray his mood, before returning to his musing.

The past few days have been annoying him greatly, especially that slumbering fool Colbert. As far as he could tell from his contrasts, the man was worthless. He had no formal education of any kind, his lineage was worthless, and yet the man managed to get a job here at the most well known academy in Halkeginia.

It was this question that pissed him of the most. How did a worthless, no good, magi become the right hand man of Osmond the Wise. Colbert must done something to gain the trust of the man, with statuses, like the Headmaster but what? What could he possible have done?

It was this question that had been driving him nuts ever since, he'd gotten here. After all, their was only one reason he'd come to this academy and it was to gain statuses within the nobility, besides with him as the right hand man of the increasingly senile Osmond the Wise. He would be in position to begin laying out his plans for the future but this was no longer the case. All thanks to Colbert. A worthless no name magi, he thought furores.

He took another sip of his tea, hoping that it would wash his ill mood away before casting his eyes to the group of students before him. The only boy of interest to him was the youngest son of a pagan and one of the more competent general in the Tristania military. The man was also rumored to have be on good terms with the princess. As for the rest the boy friends they were children of no name nobles who he didn't care about but they may still prove useful in the future.

For the last two years, he'd been slowly working on 'befriending' the boy and his small group of friends so that in time they will trust him and therefore be willing to help repay there debt to him in the form of favorers and minor tasks.

This course of action was enacted by him, as it become clear to him that he could never be able to be Osmond right hand man because of Colbert. The simple thought of the man, annoyed him greatly and which was the reason he'd come down here the moment classes ended. He needed some tea and a chance to think about something else but fate seem not to care.

The present of that piece of garage commoner, who was raped, servicing food to them as if nothing happened sicken and infuriate him but that was nothing compared to the worst shock of the day for him. That worthless, meaningless, superfluous, despicable, wretched man knew the princess was the final straw, he thought, tightening his grip on his cup handle.

What was it that made the fool so important? he asked himself, as he took another sip of his tea, in an attempt to calm his temper, yet failing woefully, and discovering that he was out of tea.

He cursed, softly..

* * *

><p>Siesta was feeling a lot better, now, after spending all morning resting in a corner with Chief Marteau, right next to her force feeding her, as he barked orders at the kitchen helpers, whenever they made a mistake. It remained her of her childhood but her treatment was nothing special in and of itself as their was a reason that all the commoners who worked here at the academy, respected and listed to him.<p>

The man took care of his fellow commoners, no matter, the reason. Thus his treatment of her, was nothing new, to the kitchen helpers nor the rest of the academy commoners, as he would have done the same for them too. Their was also another reason for the lack of complaints, from the kitchen helpers, the lack of the chief experience hands, of course, meant making their lives harder. Yet it also meant that as long as they didn't maker any major mistake or give the chief reason to shout at them, they had a free hand to learn and gain experience for themselves and to apply their touch to the dishes.

So she'd spent the morning hours seating inside the kitchen, uselessly, watching the kitchen at work while breathing in air heavy with the smell of cooking food and sweating every single moment yet she was thankful for the rest and glad that she'd listen to her friend, Marteau.

Yet it did not change the fact, that she was impatience to get back to work, watching the kitchen commoners at work wasn't helping, at all. But in the end, she'd been able to endure the wait until she was feeling better and finally managed to talk Marteau into letting her work.

So here, she was outside in the gardens, standing just outside to the entrance to the garden where the nobles could easily see her and call her over yet so far not one of them had called her over to order anything. She didn't mind at all. It just meant more time for her to enjoy herself.

She watched students clearly still excited by the princess present and understandably sharing their experiences, however brief, with the princess with each other. She also noticed a few guarded glares been thrown her way but she ignored it as it was mostly likely nothing more than the newest rumors about her boss. She'd gotten use to it by now, that seeing students whispering to each other had become a normal sight for her. In fact, she didn't really find that odd or offense.

Yet unlike the students and nobles, she did not consider the princess to be anything special, especially considering that she'd grown up with stories, of the deeds of the God-emperor as he saw to reunite man scatted worlds across the galaxy. While she loved the stories themselves and believed in the God-emperor, the one aspect that she'd loved above all was the part concerning the ability of the Imperial to travel between worlds. It was become of this that she would sometime watch the night sky.

She only had one problem with the stories themselves, it was the cause of many of her nightmares and sleepless nights since her childhood. The Imperial to her symbolize the proof that nobles were wrong in there argument that commoners were nothing without them. The Imperial was proof that there argument was wrong and she know that she was right however deep within her heart.

She wished secretly that the Imperial of Man could never find Halkeginia. She knew within her heart that it was against her faith to do so but she did not wish for war. She wanted peace, true that it wasn't really peace, as wars broke out here and there but they were nothing to the Imperial war machine which her great-great-great-grandfather described in his writing. The Imperial could crush Halkeginia within days if not weeks and if they couldn't take the world or one of there other enemies did, there was the possibility that they would destroy Halkeginia.

She did not want this come to past at all, she thought, clenching the holy relic in her pocket tightly before offering a quick pray to the emperor to protect Halkeginia from the enemies of mankind and to look after her family. When she was done, she pulled out her arm and placed it beside her out in plain sight.

Her thoughts come to a stop as she noticed a hand waving in the air, aimed at her direction. She looked over and saw it was, Ms. Zerbst and Ms. Tabitha, she smiled at the sight of the odd pair before making her way over to them.

* * *

><p>He fought the urge to curse, at the fact, that once again another irritating event just happened. He was out of tea. There was none left in the pot on the table for him, despite the fact that he'd been the only one drinking while Guiche and his friends were busy chatting away.<p>

Dam it, what else could go possible wrong today? He thought, angrily. He cursed, he can't lose control now not when the princess is here so he forced his anger down again.

"Sir, is everything all right?" he heard Guiche ask.

"I'm fine." he answered and finally noting that he was starring at his empty tea cup. "Just tired from the day events." he lied.

"Than I'll order some more." Guiche said, and without waiting for a answer, jumping out of his chair and heading towards the whore without another thought by than it was too late to stop the boy. Dam it, he cursed, feeling his anger rise but once again, it was forced back under.

At least, he thought with some relief, that he didn't have to ask that whore of a commoner in person. Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that his temper was barely hidden under the surface a hair trigger from exploding.

* * *

><p>Tabitha watched as her friend, Kirche, waved to get the maid Siesta attention and continued to watched as the maid finally noted and started walking toward them. She'd wasn't reading a book right now, as the two of had just finished class &amp; were both famished, although she did not allow it to show on her face.<p>

That said, the last few days and nights hadn't been the most productive. She found little information that would be useful to her at all. She could have taken more clandestine actions to get a closer look at the familiar belongings but the princess visit together with the so called recent 'rape case' had placed all the teachers and students on high alert.

It would be smart not to do anything suspicions, right now.

However, it also placed her in a risky situation, as last night letter from her uncle demonstrated. The man was directly threating her to get meaningful information on this vile present or face the consequences. It hush uncaring tone evidence in the letter confirmed her suspension that the madman was afraid of this present or he wanted to use it as a weapon.

Anymore thoughts was stopped, as Louise maid arrived at their table.

"Hello, Ladies how can I help you this afternoon?" Siesta said.

"Hello. Siesta how's my little fire-breather." Kirche said, with a touch of mischief in her voice.

"I'm sorry my lady but I haven't seen her today." said Siesta, matter of factually.

"Oh Siesta, we're been though this before." Kirche replied, mischief still evidence in her voice but now an innocent smile made it way across her face. It was returned by Siesta.

Kirche, and in turn her, know Siesta within a month of Louise enrolling the academy. It was to be expected considering the history between both their families and it was no surprise that Siesta had always refused to share any details concerning her master with Kirche beside the basic which wasn't much beyond 'she doing good.'

However despite the rivalry between their two families, she was aware that Kirche did care about Louise and the commoners of her household such as her handmaid. The only problem was pride. Pride that would not allow her to acknowledge her concern to Louise face so her friend tired to get information through her handmaid.

This odd attitude on her friend part could be considered a sign of changing time and also a sign of how far both families had come along in there relationship over the years. The two families were more friendly rivals than enemies these days but of course, neither families would never admit it in front of the other.

"Tea & cake." she said.

"OK" Siesta answered, with a smile on her face.

"Make that a few dozens of the best." said Kirche, throwing a knowing smile at her. She tipped her head a little, as thank you.

"OK than I'll be..." Siesta never got to finish as Guiche interrupted her before she could finish.

"If you don't mind me interrupting ladies, I would also like to ask the commoner for some tea." he asked, courtly with a rose in his hand.

"Certainly, sir.." Siesta said, with a small bow before turning around to leave them. She watched Siesta leave before her attention returned to the scene before her.

"Well, what could possible bring you here?" Kirche asked, playfully.

"Nothing but the beauty of your face" he answered, magisterial tone, one hand holding the rose out and the other behind his back, followed by a another bow.

"Oh, really." Kirche answered, her voice playful but with a hint of suspicion.

"Yes, the texture of your skin, your very craves, and your face, unite together to create the very image of a goddess from the founder days." Guiche said, the rose now held to his face, Kirche eyes followed it while she lost interest. She was famish and the best way to pass time that she knew was to read.

It proved to be a good decision, as she bent down to get a book from her bag, she noticed something at the corner of her eye. It was shiny, see through, and look like glass, falling to the ground. She turned her head sightly to get a better look it.

It was a glass perfume bottle, engraved with a emblem which she recognized.

She cast a minor wind spell, to push it away from their table and out of her sight before raising above the table, with book in hand.

She open it and started reading while keeping her ears open and Guiche and her friend in sight.

"Yes, Kirche my dear." Guiche said, in the same tone he''d been using.

"Really, now" Kirche said, mischief returning to her voice while her eyes settled on someone in the background.

"Yes, indeed." Guiche uncertainty and concern making it's way into his voice and eyes. He was after all a man with lots of experience with been Kirche victim from past interactions.

A soft, innocent, chuckle escaped Kriche lips. It was followed by a wide grin smile and her leaning forward far enough for Guiche to have a look down into her lovely assets. Guiche tired to resist the temptation but he couldn't as his eyes moved down until they were staring at them.

It was enough for Guiche to lose track of time but for Kirche it was enough for her days entertainment to start as she waited for the approaching trigger, right behind Guiche, to maker her present felt while Guiche was no longer entrapped by her assets.

Kirche made sure to give a wide grin smile on her face the moment the trigger approached their table and come to a stop right behind Guiche.

The girl said nothing unit she was standing right behind Guiche, whom now eyes darted between looking at her friend assets and the rose before his eyes trying to figure out her friend intentions. It didn't matter as it was too late and it was crystal clear that he had no idea who was standing behind him at all.

"So my dear, how are you today?" said Montmorency, her voice dipping with venom.

"Ahh..nothing." Guiche said, suddenly, ripping his eyes from Kirche assets and turning around without losing another heartbeat, the rose still held to his face.

"Really?" Montomorency said, her eyes looking threateningly at Kirche before they slowly return to lock on her sweating boyfriend face.

"Yes." Guiche said, uncertainty.

"Really?" Montmorency said the single word dipping with malice.

"Yes, really I was talking with Kirche and..."

"Tabitha." she said, without her eyes leaving the book that she was reading.

"Yes, Tabitha about how it's been a great day so far. You know with the princess here and all that." Guiche said, trying desperately to sound confidence. "Right, Kirche?" he finished, his tone pleading and turning to face Kirche.

"Yes, we were just talking about the day event." Kirche said, bring her arms to rest before her and right next to her own assets pushing them closer together. The movement didn't get past Montmorency, who simply shot her a cold-murdering pair of eyes. Kirche wasn't worried at all by this, her smile simply widen.

"Their nothing to worry about, Montmorency. It weren't like their was anything between me and your dear beside he's not my type. I don't like vain man." Kirche said, playfully with a touch of honesty.

"Good." Montmorency said, spitting the words out, before taking hold of Guiche.

"Tea." She said, looking momentarily over the top of her book at the approaching maid.

"Here are your orders." said Siesta, placing the tray on the table and giving them their orders before picking up the tray again.

"Thank you, Siesta." said Kirche.

"No problem, ma'am." Siesta answered.

"Where sir, would you like your tea." Siesta asked.

"Right, follow me commoner." said Guiche, with Montmorency still holding onto him, with Siesta following with the tray of tea.

She noticed the familiar just enter the gardens. She made sure that her stuff was close by just in case and returned to her reading making sure to keep an eye on the man.

* * *

><p>Lin wandered the length of this institution busy hall ways confused and lost but it had provide him with a chances to get his bearings in his new environment. However his body complained with each step yet he did not stop. He couldn't stop.<p>

So he did not stop to examine, where his feet was leading him to, at all, his only concern was to make it down to ground floor where he could get the hell out of this academy but weary from his wounds forced him to stop every now and than so that his body could rest. It was the reason why he wasn't moving right now.

The currently floor he was in wasn't high to give him a chance to check out the surrounding land in detail but it was a secondly concern for him. He could tell from his surrounding that whatever planet he'd ended up on, it was an primitive one and most likely had never recovered from the 'Age of strife' or whatever they called it on this particulate planet.

That said, it brought little comfort to him that this academy had the word 'magic' in its title.

This institution was known as the Tristain Academy of Magic according to the chatter of the students passing him in the hall ways. The name Tristain meant nothing to him, the only words with any meaning to him was 'academy' and 'magic.' Magic as far as he was concerned was another word for 'psykers', the present of the word 'academy' meant this was a school for psykers which meant only one thing for him, he had to get the flak out of here before something want wrong.

And here he thought that he was safe as he turned and continued his journey down toward the ground floor and to find a way out of this mad house before a daemon decide to stop over for a visit and a meal.

* * *

><p>Louise wardered the academy looking for her familiar yet she hadn't found him. He wasn't in the infirmary, where he was meant to be. All that she found was an empty bed, discarded bed sheets, and a closed door to the infirmary.<p>

She'd headed up to check out on her familiar, at lunch, as soon as class ended but he weren't there. Not that she was surprised, if she'd been stick in bed for days on end, the first thing she would do was go out for a walk but that was inappropriate behavior for a commoner. He should know better than to make a noble wait.

She felt no anger at her familiar actions. That was odd, she thought to herself, maybe it had to do with that vague dream that she could barely remember from last night?

Anyways it didn't matter, right now, she told herself. She was happy that to see the princess again after all this time but she wasn't sure that she would remember her at all after all she was a princess and she her subject. And if she did the relationship would could no longer be the same as time had changed and their lives had taken difference paths.

She still hadn't found her familiar and once again she found it odd that she didn't feel anything, not even anger or annoyances at her familiar action. She dismissed it out of her mind.

She wanted to find her familiar so that they could get to know each other better, after all, it wouldn't do to have a familiar without knowing anything about him. Of course, this would have been easier if he'd been a animal as all she would have done was to look it up and there she was done. But that was not the case here. She'd some how managed to summon a commoner as her familiar and although she didn't want a commoner as her familiar. There was nothing she could do about it now as the commoner has clearly been marked with runes as hers.

And as such, she would made sure that he know it. It wouldn't do to leave a noble like her waiting, no she would have to teach him a lesson, once that he will never forgot and good thing that she had prepared herself, she thought, by buying everything that a familiar would ever need, including a whip.

So after the failing to find her familiar in the infirmary, she made the decision to return to her room to get it. She may not be feeling any anger at the moment but it didn't mean that her familiar didn't deserve to be punished for making her wait. He deserved to be punished for making her a noble look for him when it should be the other way round.

Where was she going to find him? She asked herself, as she descent one of many stairs localed throughout the academy grounds, but she found no answer. That was when, she remembered that she hadn't eaten lunch yet.

What difference does it matter, she thought, it wasn't like a commoner could get far on his own, right? After all, this was a academy for nobles, there's no way that he would be able to escape. She'll find him soon, she thought, right now she was going to the gardens to get some food and rest for herself.

* * *

><p>The familiar entered the garden, silently and without fanfare. It was an odd experience for him, he thought, to be here on a planet, where he wasn't greeted like returning hero or villain. Where the local population didn't glare threateningly or fearfully or drown him in flowers.<p>

He cast his eyes about the garden and it's occupant, looking for an exist but he could not see one, at all. All he could see was a wall in the distance and right in front of him the court yard or was it a garden? He asked himself, as he checked it out in more detail. It looked like a garden so...

He never got to finish as someone ran into him, spilling hot water all over him. He granted in pain and annoyances before looking down to look at the person responsible. It was a maid, who didn't waste any time before she was on her knees and pleading for his forgiveness.

"Don't worry about it young lady." he said, taking hold of the maid shoulders. It was than that Siesta finally noticed that the man in question wasn't reacting at all, to the hot tea covering him.

"I'm sorry, my lord." the maid said, her tone soft while her eyes were down cast, looking at his feet..

He didn't paying attention to this at all as he raised her until she was standing yet her eyes still remain down cast. The sight, of her down cast eyes, was nothing new for him considering his family role back home.

Where the poor girl saw an image of her wronging an noble, he saw nothing but a man, who now had a chance to escape this madhouse before a daemon decide to pop in for a visit.

"Don't worry. It's nothing. I was wondering if you could help me find the nearest exist." he asked.

Time seem to slow down, as he saw the maid look up at him, concern, disbelieve, and hope written across her face at his course of action.

"Do you know, where the exist is young lady?" he asked, again.

"It's..." Siesta never got the chance to finish as the only teacher present, made his present felt by ripping the maid from his hands.

"Damn, commoner." said Mr. Ventus, his tone mix with venom and anger shaking the poor maid violently.

The man didn't even bother looking at him. He had only eyes on the maid, beside him and no one else. He noticed two students, a boy and a girl, close by staring at the since shock written on their face. He also noticed that many students were now watching the mass and more were filing into the court yard/garden or whatever it was meant to be.

The reaction was nothing new, it was one wholly human, and one that he'd seen many times but the sight of them whispering, pointing, a few were even laughing, and none of them showing any signs of concern for the maid ire him badly. It was only when he noticed the first workers join the growing crowd, that he finally saw faces painted with concern and worry.

"How dare you unclean whore make a mass when the princess is here." Mr. Ventus said, his comment was followed with a slap and tears flowing down the Siesta face.

"You should learn your place, foolish commoner." the man, said slurring each word followed by another slap to the mail face.

These words were nothing new and the sight he found before him was nothing new in his experience in the course of his services to the emperor. There was a reason why he was never invited by nobles to there self-deluded parties where they pretend that everything in the galaxy was fine, that there future was safe, and there lives were worth more than the people they ruled over. It disgraced him that scum like this called themselves 'nobles' when they didn't even know what the word meant.

This was the reason why he stop using his proper title. He didn't want to it or the name of his house to be slandered and runied by the actions of fools who didn't care about there duty to the emperor or to the people they ruled.

"Let the young lady go." he said, calmly.

The man stared at him, his eyes painted with anger and indifferences to the suffering of the girl before him.'

"I said, let the young lady go." he repeated.

"Why should I listen to a commoner?" the man said, this time with amusement in his voice. The man didn't even bother turning around to face him instant he continued beating the girl.

"I said, let the young lady go." he said, again, this time allowing a little malices into his voice.

"What would do you do about it, fool?" the man replied, only this with a condescending laugh at the end of his words before dropping the maid to the ground, where she slammed into the remains of the tray of tea before kicking her once before turning to face him. The girl cry of pain was not lose to his ears. The man than took a single step towards him before pulling out a little stick and pointing it at his chest.

"So what are you going to do commoner?" the man said, with an overconfidence smile on his lips.

It was the wrong move. He was no fool. In his experience some psyker liked to use sticks, polos, whatever even when they clearly didn't need it. Thus when the fool pulled his little stick out it clear to him that the fool was threating him.

Which lead to his next problem fighting the psyker. He could feel that his body was in no mood for a fight, hell it was still complaining, as he stared at the fool in front of him. He knew that there was only one real opinion left to and that was to strike before the psyker had the chance to attack.

The sword was still by his side. Looking at the man eyes, he could see that the man didn't even consider him standing there with a short-sword to be a threat to him. It was a mistake that he was going to be regret pretty soon.

He struck using the sheath to knock the man aim away before striking with a solid blow to the man chest which sent him slumbering backwards and past the two individual still frozen to the spot. He tired pushing his body to follow up the attack only to crushing down onto his feet coughing up blood.

He tried forcing his body to stand but only succeeded in part as he stood up still coughing up blood while he watched the man slowly recover and turn to face him raising his stick at him. He waited for the end but it did not come.

He felt his a rush of air slammed into his body lifting him off his feet and throw him backwards where he come down crushing down into the stone floor hard. He cough up more blood which he wipe off his cloth before forcing his weary body back onto it feet. He finally draw the short-sword from it resting place.

"Do you want some more commoner?" the man said, as students got further away from the two of them and unconsciously forming a rough circle around them.

He didn't bother answering the man question instant he got ready for combat. He held the short-sword to his rear slightly making sure that his opponent couldn't see it while holding the sheath in the other hand in front of him. He didn't have a real sword as his had broken years ago. He took a moment to relax his body and often a quick prayer to his wife asking for forgiveness for having to use her blade against a fool.

"Who do you think you are commoner? Not answering your betters questions." the man demand of him.

He didn't wait for an answer as he rushed the psyker, pushing his body to it limit, so that he could get into reach and end this fight before the man had the chance to attacks him. He took a deep breath while keeping his eyes locked on the psyker.

The short-sword made contrast with the arm holding the stick knocking it out of his hand and forcing the psyker to the ground where he cried out in pain. Looking down to check on the man, it was clear that his lump wasn't broken before turning to face the crowd to check that they didn't decide to join in.

It was a mistake on his part, as he felt a fist connect with his chest, his head sapped back to the psyker and he saw that the man face was inches from his own, a murderous smile on his face. The psyker got nothing but a face full of blood for his brief period of joy at his suffering.

The blow wasn't strong but considering his body state, it didn't matter if it was strong or not it wasn't in the state to be taking punishment. The psyker draw back trying to wipe the blood of his face with his hands. The pain he felt was intense but he forcefully pushed it out of his mind as best as possible and ready himself to strike the psyker again.

The psyker reached desperately for the little stick he was holding when he brought the sheath down on the hand reaching for it. The sound of broken bone echoed across the garden. The psyker draw back in pain clutching his broken hand, his attention fixed on it. He failed to see his blade until it was resting against the skin of his noise, his eye focused on the blade staring at them, disbelieve, shock, but above all fear in them. .

It stayed that way for what felt like to many watching it felt like forever but it wasn't the psyker lost consciouses within seconds. The man whispering only one word before losing consciouses 'impossible.'

The moment that the fool was out, he walked over to the stick the psyker was using and cut it in half, just to be on the safe side. Than slowly he walked over to the nearest chair and seat down. The man was still breathing but he had no intention of soiling his wife gift with the blood of a fool, even if it meant his death.

It was going against everything he know but he didn't care, the short-sword was an essential part of him and a reminder of his family and home.

He closed his eyes and finally allowed himself to feel the pain. It was agonizing and tiring at the same time yet he endured it like so many other battlefield injuries over the years. He should be moving his body was in no mood to be moving.

The colonel never noticed the total silence of the crowd around him at the sight of a commoner beating a noble with nothing but a sword. It was a sight that they were not use too, a sight that want against there upbring where nobles were better and stronger than the commoners that they lorded over.

However it was also a sight that they wasn't meant for these of there age, at least not yet. The scene was bloody, Ms. Ventue face lay unconsciouses with blood smirched on his face, hands and with a broken hand. The familiar shirt (I don't know the proper name for a shirt during this time period so sorry.) and to a lesser extent his trousers were both covered in blood. The familiar had also left a itinerary of blood to his current location. It was not a pretty sight for students who were still in the progress of becoming adults.

So it was unsurprisingly when the silences was broken by a single ear-shattering scream of the girl closest to the actions, who was standing next to her shocked frozen boyfriend as for the rest of the crowd stood unmoving, even as everyone else in the academy come running to see the cause of the gril scream.


	7. Chapter 7

**OK sorry for this been a week late but have been busy with summer school but anyways here is chapter seven. Please note that this hasn't been beta read as promised last time so I'm very sorry for that and if the mistakes and errors piss you off so you decide to stop reading than do so after all this is a free country and in the case that you don't live in one than always remember that life is what you made of it.**

**That said, now i give you chapter seven and as i said last chapter this end the intro for this story so the next arc is what follows in the manga. Also there will not be any new chapter for the next month or two as i have summer school and will also been using that time to plan the next arc for this failure of a story.**

**As always if you see any mistake please let me know in the reviews and in the case where you hate it than you're more than welcome to express your feelings via reviews. thank for your time and i hope you like it.**

**Zero War – The Long War Version 1.0**

**Zero War – The Long War Version 1.1 – hey this version is just to correct mistakes that I missed. In other words, this is my attempt at beta reading my own work. I hope that it worked out. If not please let me know. Thank you.**

**Zero War - The Long War Version 1.2 - hey is version 1.2 and this mostly just streamlining of the chapter and fixing some of the problems with it. U.N.S points out there is a problem with the daemon personality so that will stay as it is for now as I rewrite it. So please ignore it for now. If you see anything wrong let me know :D**

**Zero War - The Long War Version 1.3 - ok there was no spell checks or anything like that this time around. The only change is in the daemon POV at the end of the chapter and after carefully thinking about it I've decide to go with a daemon that doesn't belong to any of the four chaos gods. Thank you for reading my story and please enjoy :D**

Chapter 7

The headmaster office was silence like a grave, as everyone studied the familiar before them. There hadn't been a single word spoken since the door was fixed and placed back in it rightful place.

The man before her had just injuried one of her civilians. She didn't know what to think about it. One side of her was screaming for blood while another part of her was aware that it would not get her anywhere nor answer any of her questions which she come here for. But there was a more important worrying concern for her, a familiar was a reflection of it master so what does the man recent action say about her childhood friend?

She held her breath as fear crept through her at the thought that Louise was just like her familiar but it didn't last long as she regained control of herself and forcefully pushed the thought to the back of her mind so she could focus on the problem at hand. The familiar stood at the opposite side of the office, in fact, quite close to the door however if he tried to escape he wasn't going anyway as there were Griffin Knight outside. There orders were to stop anyone from going in and out until they were done.

She sigh. The crowd surrounding the familiar had taken a bit of work to break up but with help from the Griffin Knight and teachers they were able to get both the students and commoners back into their rooms while the site of the fight was cleaned up. Right now, the academy was in lock down. Once again it had been Wardes suggestion, it also was his suggestion to have the teachers and a few Griggin Knights to patrol the academy grounds to ensure that everyone stayed in there rooms and nothing unexpected happened. She'd agreed after careful consideration.

And now here she was setting with Osmond, Wardes, Ms. Longuville, Colbert, Louise, and her familiar in the headmaster office waiting to discuss matters.

Of course, before doing so she ordered that new cloths be brought fore for the familiar unfortunately there was little she could do about his short-sword as he refused part with it.

"Who are you to be harming one of my civilians?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the familiar, her voice barely hiding her anger.

"Who are you to be talking like that to me, child." the familiar replied calmly.

"And who are you to be talking like that to her?" Louise said calmly.

"And who are you little girl." the familiar said, looking at her friend.

"Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere of the house of Valliere and your master." Lousie declared.

"Master?" the familiar said confused.

"Yes master, it was me who summoned you." Louise said, calmly. For a moment she saw the familiar face display confusion at her friend statement but it was soon changed as the familiar seem to finally realize what Louise meant.

"Than I am in your debt." the familiar said to her friend, bowing slightly at her before turning back to face her.

"Good. Than from this moment on you will be my familiar." Louise declared. The familiar turned to face Louise and acknowledge her words with another bow before turning back to face her. It irritated her.

"You didn't answer me, why did you attack one of my civilians and not only that but a noble too." she demanded. The familiar remained calm until she reached the word 'noble' which caused him to scowl.

"A noble." the familiar said, slurring the word. "That man was no noble."

"He was a noble and you have no right to be harming him within my own domain." she said her voice barely hiding her anger.

The familiar howled with laughter in reply before finally answering. She reached for her ward that she kept hidden from sight.

"You confer the title of noble on a man who beats up the weak? And you willing to protect him. Foolish little princess nobles are people who endeavor to protect the weak while holding themselves to a higher standards than commoners. The fact that you're willing to protect a coward who's beats up a maid illustrate that you clearly don't care for the well being of your own commoners." the familiar said.

It left her speechless. He was right. She tired to reply but every time that she opened her mouth, she would close it again unable to find a meaningful reply. It was broken when she noticed Louise walk up to her familiar fearlessly until they were standing opposite each other and staring at each other.

She was surprised at Louise strength and courage which allowed her to do so without showing any fear in front of her familiar. The sight was broken as she saw the familiar draw his blade, time seem to slow down as she watched the blade closing in Louise neck. She could feel words begin to make there way to her lips but they never left them as the blade come to a rest inches from Louise neck.

"Admirable display of control little girl." Lin said, withdrawing his blade and returning to it place, without moving his eyes from Louise own.

"I order you to answer the princess questions." Louise said, before moving to stand beside her familiar rather than returning to the safely of there side of the office.

The familiar frown at her friend, his face showing that he was considering her word carefully.

"Within reason." Lin said, with a slight smile at seeing Louise reactions. The exchange between the master and her familiar gave her enough time for her to recover.

"You do have a point colonel but it doesn't change the fact that he was one of my subjects and you had no right to harm him." she stated, calmly.

"And I little princess don't care, I will not by stand and watch fools whether they be nobles or otherwise pick on the weak and helpless." the familiar stated with a hint of displeasure in his voice. The frown on his face lasted for a seconds before it was replaced with a slight grin.

"The name is Colonel Marcus Lin of the 240th Iron Wolf regiment. Imperium of Man," Lin said.

"So colonel if you don't mind me asking but what was the weapon that you used?" Colbert asked, unable to hide his own curiously anymore. She tuned to look at the professor, irritated, and saw the man clearly wasn't playing attention to his surroundings at all again. Still she couldn't help but admit that she too was interested in the familiar sword. It was unlike any that she'd seem.

"The sword is nothing special." Lin said, pulling out the blade and holding it horizontally allowing everyone in the office to see it, including Louise who turned slightly to get a better look at it.

"The blade is facing the wrong way." Louise said, surprised.

"No, its facing the right way." Lin said. "The blade is on the rear side so that it's protected against been damaged during a fight."

"I see." said Colbert, thoughtfully.

"I've never heard of this Imperium of Man." she said, before Colbert asked another question.

"Do you mind enlightening us a little about your Imperium of Man?" Colbert asked, curios. The familiar looked at Colbert before answering.

"The Imperium of Man is an empire ruled by the God-Emperor and the High Lords of Terra. They rule from Mankind birth place, Holy Terra or as it use to be known in the past as Earth." Lin told them.

"Interesting." Colbert said.

"Why were you covered in blood, when you were summoned?" she asked, slightly annoyed, at Colbert inability to wait until she was done before satisfying his own curiously. A somber look momentarily appeared in the familiar eyes before it disappeared.

"My regiment, the 240th, was one of many selected to to reclaim an important agriculture world." Lin explained.

"World?" said Longueville, confused. She wasn't the only one.

"Yes, a world devolved to the growing of food." Lin said pauseing for a bit before going on, he was in complete ignores of the looks of amazement, shock, and to some extent disbelieve on their faces. Louise face was the exception. It strayed expressionless.

"World" Longueville repeated shocked before going on. "You can't be serious, there is no way that that is possible."

The familiar said nothing in reply.

"Who were you fighting?" Osmond asked.

"Classified." Lin said, dead pined, his eyes cold.

"So than I take it that the vile present we felt were one of your enemies." she said, seeing the connection.

The familiar didn't answer her but she didn't need him too. It was enough for now.

"Now if you don't mind answering two question for me. What world am I on." the familiar asked.

"Halkeginia." the headmaster answered.

"What do you think you're doing teaching students magic?" the familiar said, his tone threating. She The moment the familiar said the word magic his lips didn't match the movement of his lips, it could only mean one thing but she put it aside for later.

"Teaching magic?" she said, confused.

"Yes magic, what do you think you're doing teaching it to children don't you know the dangerous of magic?" the familiar said, his tone enraged and his right hands resting tensesly on the hint of his sword while his other hung loosely by his side. She had no doubt that the familiar was willing to use it on her should the answer be less than he desired.

"Magic dangerous?" she said confused.

"Yes dangerous what insanity inspired you and your ancestors to follow such madness." Lin said, his voice filled with rage.

"What madness would imply that magic is dangerous?" Longueville shot back her voice equally filled with rage.

"The fact that they were insane enough to build an academy to that teaches magic." Lin said.

Longueville was about to answer when she was stopped by the headmaster.

"I should tell you Colonel that we're never had a outbreak before, in the course of this academy long history." Osmond stated, firmly and calmly.

"Really." Lin replied, his voice skeptic.

"Yes, really but if it makes you feel any better. I will allow you to stay armed at all times, just in case." Osmond said.

She almost protested the point but was silence by Osmond glaring at her. She held her tongue and watched.

"Now just one more question on my part, if you don't mind Colonel. Do you happen to know the coat of arms of your Imperium?" Osmond asked.

"It's a two-headed eagle." Lin replied, dryly.

"Sorry colonel but if you don't mind answering another question, your reaction implies that magic is banned in the Imperium of Man?" Colbert asked, fascinated and once to her annoyances completely unaware of his surroundings. The familiar glared at the professor before answering his question.

"The Imperium of Man doesn't ban magic but regulates those able to use it." Lin replied.

"I see..." Colbert said in reply. She glared at Colbert, allowing her annoyances to show, but the man didn't even noticed it one bit. Sometime, she thought, she felt as if the man wasn't even the same legendarily flame snake that she heard about as a child.

"Now Louise if you don't mind, taking your familiar to your room." Osmond said, looking at Louise.

"Yes, headmaster." Louise said, with a bow before leaving the room. The colonel glared at her and for a moment in that moment she thought she saw a somber smile on his face, as he turned to follow her childhood friend. The sight disturbed her but she dismissed it out of hand, just in time to notice the familiar hand resting on his short sword. That sight did not make her feel anymore less distrubed.

The remaining individual in the office waited until they could no longer hear the footsteps of the departing master and familiar.

"What do you think, Osmond?" she asked.

"The man was speaking the truth." Osmond stated.

"Than have you ever heard of this Imperium. Osmond." she asked.

"No but I have seen it coat of arms before." Osmond said..

"Where?" she asked surprised.

"On the stuff of destruction." Osmond said softly.

"Than it means that he's the only one likely to understand how to use it. Osmond make sure that he doesn't find out about it." she ordered, without hesitation.

"Of course." Osmond answered, with a nod.

"Also Osmond did you noticed the way every time he said the word magic his lips..."

"Yes I did princess." Osmond replied turning to face Colbert.

"Colbert did you make any mistake with the translation spell?" Osmond asked.

"No princess I didn't." Colbert said, breaking out of his own musing.

She filed this away for further consideration in the future.

"Wardes what do you think of this information?" she asked her most faithful guard.

"The man did not lie. I've seen these eyes before. He was telling us the truth." Wardes stated.

"Than it leave us with one question. Why?" she said, her tone thoughtful.

"Why?" Longueville asked, confused.

"Yes, why. Why did Louise summon a human familiar and not an animal like everyone else?" she asked.

"mm.." Osmond said, thoughtfully.

"But there is something you haven't explained Osmond. Why did you stop Longueville from responding to the colonel statement about magic?" she demand.

She saw the headmaster sigh before answering her question.

"I've travel far and wide during my younger days. So I've heard a few stories here and there which have not been heard by people here in the in the west. Of course, you would only hear these stories out in the far east near the borders with the elves." Osmond said, looking at her before going on.

"The far east is control by five families, who have held the eastern most borders of the human lands against the elves. It's thanks to them that we're here in the west are safe from the elves, it is thanks to there actions that we are safe princess. But that is beside the point. The five families also have the oldest records available in human hand but I've never been able to get any access to them."

"Is this going somewhere?" she said, amused. The headmaster chuckled before going on.

"Sorry princess. I'm just remembering old memories. Although I was never able to get access to these records. I was still able to get access to some books written by others who have seen them. One of such book talks of a time when magi were controlled by commoners, for fear that dark gods will use them as a gate way to the physical world where they can bring suffering to everyone." Osmond told them.

"I've never heard of these stories?" she asked, shocked.

"Do you remember your history princess?"

"Yes." she answered.

"Than you're aware of the endless wars at the beginning of the founding of the five nations." Osmond asked.

"Of course but no one knows the reason for these war anymore." she answered, remembering her history lessons.

"You wouldn't not after the church destroyed all knowledge of per-founders society, in order to stop the wars." he said.

"Wait, what?" Longueville asked, shocked.

"Are you saying that these wars were caused by us? Do you have any proof?" she asked, also shocked.

"No everything I just told you princess is based on information that I've pieced together over the years." Osmond said, seriously.

"Than these wars were fought over us nobles because that these commoners were afraid that we could be used as gate ways by these dark gods." she said, disbelieving.

"Do you understand now, princess. The church decision to destroy all per-founders knowledge wasn't only to stop the wars but also likely a calculated political move to take control of society." Osmond said.

"What about the founder and his successes?" Colbert asked.

"Do you honestly think Colbert that the founder and his successes agreed with the church cause of action?" Osmond asked.

She noticed Wardes gripe tighten and his eyes harden at this bit of news.

"But that impossible, how can commoners rule." said Longueville.

"Why was I never told of this?" she asked, in a whisper.

"Because it was long time ago and it bare little relatives to the present." Osmond said.

It took a while before she could speak again.

"But is it true?" she asked, doubtful.

Osmond did not answer.

"Than this Imperium of Man still believes these myths, what fools." Longueville said.

"I wouldn't say call them fools Longueville. The fact that this Imperium of Man still fears them at least tells us that they are real enough." Osmond said. The silences that followed was like a graveyard at night, as everyone present considered the information that just been shared.

"But we need more information first, Colbert I want you to comb the academy library for any information on daemons and this Imperium of Man, see also if you can find any books from the founder days if not let me know. If you find anything else let me know as soon as possible. Also made sure to check the familiar rune and find out why Louise summon a noble as a familiar." she ordered, turning to face Osmond the Wise.

"Duel with the mass here at the academy, Osmond and get in contract with your friends in the east see if you can get them to sent you some of these books and make sure that the Church does not find out about it." she ordered.

"Huh." was Osmond only reply along with a playful grin on his face.

"Now, I believe we're all in need of some rest." she said, before nodding goodbye to the three of them and begun walking towards the door. Wardess followed close behind.

"Goodbye, princess." Osmond said, softly and with a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p>She wasn't alone in her own room Kirche was there with her, along with Flame. She'd said her that she felt bored sitting in her own room by herself with nothing to do but thesomething's told her that her friend was likely planning something.<p>

The unexpected fight between Louise familiar and Mr. Ventues was unfortunately but informing. It give her the chance to study her familiar. The man was clearly Valliere familiar, as was evidence the moment he led his arms on his weapon, the runes shined brightly.

The fight clearly showed that the familiar was dangerous, especially in close quarters. That aside, the man was clearly a skilled swordsman, no doubt about that, as for the runes shining it was an interesting development that she would have to find out about later.

However another interesting characteristic that caught her attention was the nature of his sword, it was an odd sword design. The blade was curved, unlike any sword that she'd seen, while the blade itself faced the wrong way. The side that faced the enemy was blunt while the rear of the was sharp. The way the handle was designed was also unlike any sword which she'd seen in her life and this observance was confirmed, when the Griffin Knight showed up.

It was an odd design for a blade however it told her enought, wherever Louise had summon her familiar from it was clearly from lands that she'd never heard from. This left her with some answers but as usual more question.

She brought her mind back to the present, so that she could see how her friend was doing. She saw that she was still laying down on her bed while Flame was sitting by the door.

The shock written across Henrietta face, when she arrived at the scene, along with the reaction of the Griffin Knights pretty must told her everything that she needed. They didn't know anything about the familiar but of course they, the knights, reaction like any other train soldiers when their one they were guarding was in danger. They ordered the familiar to stand down before talking him away with Louise following behind.

The last few hours had given her a great deal of information to report to her uncle but it also give her more information to determine the reason her uncle sent her here in the first place. She was aware that her uncle dislike, to put it lightly, of her and mother was due to her father. That was the reason he'd sent her on all of these dangerous mission in the first place but sending her to the academy with orders to watch Louise Valliere had left her confused.

Why did he do so? This one question had been persisting and repeating itself over the last two years and yet she was unable to find an answer. However after the events of the last few days and seeing the rune on Louise familiar it had finally given her a part of the answer. It was clear to her that there was something unique about Louise which made her difference from other magi that was why she'd been ordered to watch Louise.

The sudden raising of Flame head and nodding at her master broke her musing. Kirche just smiled back at her familiar and before laying back on her bed. The silence was finally broken with the sound of approaching footsteps and from the sound of it more than one person; it sounded like at least three maybe four people were approaching.

It didn't take long for her to work out who it was, considering she was fully aware whom room was located between theirs. It was Louise and her familiar returning to their rooms and judging from the extra footsteps they were been escorted by someone, most likely by a member of the Griffin Knights.

She returned to her book and waited for Kirche to made her move.

* * *

><p>Louise entered her room, with familiar following behind her heels, and the door was closed behind them by the Griffin Knight. She pointed to the bed of hay that she'd readyed for her familiar and said.<p>

"That is where you will be sleeping, familiar." she said, pointing at the bed of hay.

The familiar urged not a single word in protest to her command. It annoyed her. So she turned around and headed over to her bed, took her shoes off, and seat down on her bed, facing her familiar.

She watched her familiar make himself comfortable on his hay bed without a problem or even bothering to look at her, his master. The familiar than placed within easy reach his short-sword before leaning back until he rested against the wall before closing his eyes. It annoyed her but she waited. And waited. But her familiar said nothing.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, irritated.

"Sleeping." her familiar answered, his eyes still closed.

"Sleeping?" she repeated the words, almost spiting the words out.

"Sleeping." the familiar repeated. He was annoying her.

"Who gave you permission?" she said, her words filled with pure venom.

The familiar said nothing in reply so she waited for an answer but none was forth coming. This familiar was pushing her.

"Who do you think think you're are to refuse to answer me commoner?" she demand loudly.

"A man with little to say and only wishes to repay his debt.." her familiar replied. The man lips bend upwards a bit, into a smile. She was about to share some of her thoughts when her familiar beat her.

"Get some rest, I'm sure you tired from seeing the princess." her familiar replied.

"Don't call her princess." she shot back the moment he finished, her voice no longer hiding her feelings.

"Princess." the familiar said.

"And what do you, a commoner, think you're doing disobeying your betters?" she said, making sure she used the best imitation of her mother voice.

"Getting some rest, you do noticed that I'm still injured." the familiar said, his voice sounding as he was speaking to a child.

She could feel her facial muscle twitching, her anger increasing, and finally she throw the nearest pillow at her familiar. However seeing the familiar unaffected by the pillow hitting him, who simply took it and used it make himself more comfortable, pushed her temper to the breaking point and so she reached for the nearest solid object, which was a thick book, and throw it at her familiar.

The reaction to say the least was nothing new in history.

"What the hell is your problem, you brat?" her familiar shouted at her while holding on to his aching head.

"Nothing, its your fault for not listing, familiar." she said, politely looking at her familiar, as if nothing was wrong.

"Flak you. You brainsick, demented, mad, unbalanced, oversex..." she didn't allow him to get any further, as she throw another book in the general direction of her familiar.

"Flak you. You little rat." her familiar said, one hand covering his head and the other covering his balls.

"See if you only listed this wouldn't have happened." she said, her voice polite.

"If you had sex you're wouldn't be having these problems in the first place." her familiar counted. She throw another book at her him and once again it was followed by another cry of pain.

"It's unladylike to be thinking of these topic only the most foul, filthy, and disgraceful noble would think of something like that at my age." she stated.

"Really." Kirche said, her tone sinister.

She did a doubt take. How did she get in without her noticing? Answer she didn't know. Kirche stood with her head held high and as usual her body, especially her nature assets on full display with her familiar Flame behind her to the left staring out her window, and finally Tabitha standing by her side on the right who nodded at her in greeting before returning to her book.

She checked the door and noticed that it was closed, her tone darken dangerously.

"What do you think you doing in my room?" she said.

"To see your familiar." she said, her eyes slowly making there way to her familiar and a despicable smile of delight at what she saw, begin to make its way across her face.

"Not bad." Kirche said, her smile was match by her eyes lighting up in delight as they studied every detail of her familiar. The next words out of Kirche mouth were 'I like."

"Get out of my room!" she shouted.

"Oh come on, Louise. You can't kick us out until you introduce us." said Kirche, devilishly.

"Get out!" she shouted, again.

No one listed. Kirche face was painted with that stupid smile of hers, Tabitha was standing at the same place, and Flame was sun bathing next to her window and as for her familiar. That stupid familiar was no longer rolling around the ground like a baby.

"Fine." she said, forcing her anger down and admitting that the faster she got the introduces out of the way the faster she could get them out of her room.

"Sooo what's your name, handsome?" Kirche asked, her tone crawling with passion.

"Colonel Marcus Lin 240th Iron Wolf Regiment, my lady. Imperium of Man." her familiar said.

"Imperium of Man." Kirche paused for a moment. "Haven't heard of such an nation."

She saw her familiar smile at that comment just before he answered.

"Of course, you wouldn't my lady. The Imperium of Man isn't of this world. We control of all the stars in the night sky." her familiar said. Kirche only reaction was to laugh hearty which was soon joined by her familiar. It was getting to loud here, she thought.

"Shut up." she shouted. The laugher died off and everyone present stared at her as if she did something wrong.

"Party pooper." Kirche said, directing the words at her.

She pretended to have not heard that comment.

"Now if everyone just seat down than we can talk like nobles." she stated.

"Fine." Kirche said, her playful eyes and griping her familiar arm. The witch followed her familiar to his hay bed and seat down next to him while whispering words to his ear, she expected Flame to protest such action but he did not. He stayed where he was, sun bathing while Tabitha seat down on the only chair in the room, still reading her book.

The two of them were whispering to each like lovers and giggling now and than, it was a disgrace for a member of the Valliere household to be flirting with the enemy.

"Familiar." she said, her voice as calm she could get it.

"Yes big cheese." her familiar answered. She felt a facial muscle twitch at his answer, it didn't help that Kirche smiled at her before whispering into her familiar ear. It was followed by the sight of the two of them giggling. She forced her anger down again and considered her next question carefully before asking it.

"Where your regiment?" she asked, the moment the question left her month she felt like a fool. It was shortly confirmed when Kirche giggled like a child. She expected her familiar to follow in her rival footstep but he didn't instead. The man looked seriously at her rival before answering.

"They were killed in combat."

The minute he said, Kirche stop giggling and she looked at her familiar face, to see if he was still fooling around but he wasn't.

"The campaign was a failure. You saved my life when you opened that portal. Thank you." her familiar acknowledged nodding at her.

She didn't know what to say at all. She tired to find the right word to say but the only words that did come to mind was "Thanks" she said, with a whisper.

"Why?" Tabitha asked. She looked over at Tabitha and noticed that she was no longer reading her book at all. She was staring at her familiar, her head turned to the side.

"We were deployed to reclaim the world of Lorem III from an enemy raiding party but by the time we arrived there was no trace of the enemy. The only thing we found were the remains of civilians." her familiar said, his tone somber.

"So unable to find anything command ordered all regiments to search every single square inch of their ZOR for traces of the enemy. In case that they were hiding."

"ZOR?" she asked, confused at the term he'd used.

"Zone of Responsibility." her familiar explained before going on with his story.

"The 240th Iron Wolf Regiment, my regiment, ZOR was the city of 'Novum Eboracensis V.' We found no trace of the enemy in the city nor did any of the other regiments find any. So command ordered us to stand down and clean up the mass our enemy left behind." her familiar said, she noticed her familiar paused for a moment before going on.

"But that was a mistake, a few weeks later our enemies hit my regiment from below ground. It was a massacre." her familiar said softly his eyes down cast.

"But surely could have done something?" said Kirche, her tone serious while her hand rested comfortingly and supportively across her familiar arm.

"No,it was my fault. I underestimate the enemy. I failed to consider my environment and I failed my man.." her familiar said no more, his face betrayed none of his emotion but she saw a single tear ran down his face. It didn't last long as her familiar wiped it off before continuing with his story.

"Imperium cities tend to be old, as they are often built on the corpses of older cities. My failure was failing to consider this simple fact of life." her familiar stated bitterly.

"It can't be that bad, so you forgot to check the sewers." said Kirche, as she moved closer to 'comfort' her familiar only to stop when bitter laugh escaped his lips.

"Unfortunate you don't understand when I say old. Imperium cities can often date their founding to as far as back to the founding of the Imperium of Man and in rare cases before it. As such, the 'sewers' of an Imperium is nothing close to anything that you would be familiar with. Imperium cities that have been inhabited for millenniums usually have miles of section of the city built over and forgotten by people." her familiar said, his tone still somber.

The image that formed in her mind was mind-blogging impossible, she told herself, but looking at her familiar face. She felt that it wasn't so, that her familiar was telling her the truth but the rational side of her mind told her that it was impossible. There was no way that such a city could existence at all. It was impossible, the rational side of her mind screamed.

"What was the mistake."

"Assuming that an agriculture world would be difference." her familiar paused for a breath before continuing "I assumed that it been an agriculture world, that there wouldn't be an undercity. The only problem was this undercity was from before the Imperium was founded. So it wasn't in any of the briefing material we were given."

"It was a stupid mistake that got my man killed and one that I will always blame myself for." her familiar said, softly. Kirche moved closer to her familiar but she raised no protest nor did she feel any anger at the sight but a question made it way to her lips.

"How long has the Imperium stood for?" she asked.

"The Imperium has stood for over 10,000 years." Lin said.

"Thats long." she said, shocked at the length of time that the Imperium has stood for. Wait that was even longer than the history of Halkeginia and her own country, she thought.

"Who were you fighting?" asked Tabitha.

"I'm sorry but that's classified." her familiar answered.

Tabitha nodded in reply to her familiar answer before returning to her book.

"So lovely lady. What is your name?" her familiar asked, suddenly changing the tone of his voice.

"My name is Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anhalt Zerbst but you can call me Kirche."

"What a pretty name, it certainly suits you." he answered as his eyes danced across that tart body.

"Thank you." Kirche said, before giggling for a bit before continuing "let me introduce to you to my friend Tabitha." her rival said pointing at Tabitha who nodded in acknowledgment.

"She loves reading." Kirche stated, with a smile.

"I see." her familiar said, laughing. "So do I." Kirche joined in for a bit before pointing at her familiar.

"And finally this here is my familiar Flame, he's a Salamander." Kirche said, her voice dipping with pride.

"Interesting." her familiar said in reply.

As for Flame he didn't move from an inch from his spot at all.

"Familiar.." she said, before she was cut off.

"Colonel or Lin will do." her familiar stated firmly. She felt her muscles twitching again.

"Lin, you said magic users were regulated in the Imperium, why?" she asked.

The colonel looked at her as if she was a fool.

"Magic is regulated in the Imperium because it is too dangerous to be left alone. So they either trained or killed."

"Dangerous?" Tabitha said.

"Why?" she demand, seriously.

"Classified." her familiar said.

"Are you saying that I'm don't have enough status to to know this information. I'm your master and I have the right to command you to do as I say." she said, using the best imitation of her mother voice. Lin said nothing for while and she though that something was wrong so she looked over at her familiar and saw that his hands were shaking. When her familiar finally replied, his voice was filled with barely controlled anger.

"Listen here, master. Titles and names mean nothing when death is but a step away." Lin said.

"Is that a threat?" she said, reaching for her ward. In reply her familiar let lose a deep and bitter laugh before answering.

"No master but if you were in my shoes you would understand these words well and know that names and titles mean nothing for simply labels. And labels mean nothing on the battlefield." Lin replied coldly.

She didn't understand a single word of what her familiar was trying to tell her and it showed in her face but she understood that tone well.

"Don't worry about it, master. In time, you will understand." Lin said.

"Sooo does that mean that you're a commoner?" Kirche asked, hoping to move the conversation to less hazardous topics.

"Commoner?" Lin asked, confused.

"She means if you can't do magic." She said, annoyed.

"Of course bloody hell I can't. I'm not suicidal." Lin declared.

"So you're a commoner." Kirche said, her figiners dancing across his arm.

"So I take it that your society is broken into these can use magic and these who can't." Lin asked.

"Yes it is and that means you're a commoner but you're still my familiar." she declared.

"So you're not only handsome but also quite skilled. Does that also carry into the..." Kirche asked, playfully.

"Kirche what do you think you're doing talking about something inappropriate like that in the present of others." she said, blushing.

"Oh looks who going red and seating on a bed." Kirche said, giggling like a child before turning back to her familiar. "So what do you say Colonel. A little fun before dinner?"

She could feel her blush getting worst the longer her familiar took to answer. She saw a smile on his face, one that was making her very afraid of the answer. It felt like forever, waiting for it.

"No that would be inappropriate for one such as high standing as her." Lin said, laughing the moment he finished, he was followed by Kirche. The two laughed long and hard at her. She couldn't understand what was so funny until Kirche said.

"Valliere you should see your face, its so red that you look like a tomato."

That was it. She considered using her ward but decide against it as it well make a mass of her room so she made the choice to find the nearest books, which was in her bag, and throw it at them. One for each of them. Than she wrapped herself in her bed, closed her eyes while ignoring Kirche and her familiar cries of pain.

Unfortunately for her, she forgot about Flame. Who heard his master cries of pain and decide to see who was responsibly, Flame recognized her as a friend of her master. So he couldn't harm her but a little playing wouldn't hurt right, he thought, right before the bed turned into a fur ball.

That was when Professor Colbert choose to enter, his ward out and in the open ready for action, all because of the nose that he could hear from the hall way. The sight he found himself was intriguing to say the least.

Kirche and the colonel were holding there heads, in pain, with text books laying close to them. Than there was the fact that Kirche familiar Flame had Louise pinned on her own bed but looking closely he could see that Louise had one arm free barely holding her ward pointed at Flame head from the side.

The only normal sight in the whole room, he saw, was Tabitha who was busy reading a book. It made for an odd sight compared to the state of the rest of the room.

"What do you think you're all doing?" he said. No one said anything as they all stared at each other, as if hoping that one of them would have an acceptable answer to his question. It took a while but finally his question was answered.

"Getting to know each other." Tabitha said, without her eyes leaving her book.

"OK." he said, a little uncertain at the answer, as he watched Flame jump off Louise and head over to a place by the window, Louise set up straight on her bed, and Kirche and the colonel also did likewise.

"How can we help you today, sir?" Louise said, her voice falling to hide the fact that she was out of breath.

"I was here to see your familiar runes, Ms. Louise. Do you mind?" Colbert said.

"No problems, professor." Louise said.

"Colonel if you don't mind." he asked. The colonel looked at him, confusion showing clearly in his face, before he stood up and walked the short distance to him.

He didn't wait nor ask the colonel to raise him to his hand, maybe he should have considering the events of the day, but his fascinated with new knowledge got the better of him. He reached for the colonel hands and took hold of it and brought it in for a closer inspection. He made sure to memorize each detail of the rune, taking note of its differences from the normal familiar runes.

Huh interesting, he thought. It was most definitely unlike any familiar rune that he'd ever seen in his life. Well now he head to go back to the library and check for any runes which could match this one. It could take a while but still it should be an interesting search.

He let go off the familiar hand and noticed that the hand stayed where it was, odd, he thought. Looking up he saw that the colonel eyes were glued to the runes and he saw traces of fear within the man eyes. It was admirable display of control from the man, he thought.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"What is this thing on me?" Lin asked, he thought he heard a touch of fear in his voice but he wasn't sure.

"Its the familiar runes that marks you as Ms. Valliere familiar." he answered.

"So that all?" Lin asked, dubiously.

"Yes."

"Does it do anything beside been a mark of ownership?" Lin asked, his tone threating. That was not a good sign considering what the man had told him of the Imperium attitude towards magic. A little lie wouldn't hurt right beside telling him the truth very well mean the end of one of there lives at worst.

"No."

The familiar lowered his hand and turned his back on him. He made a choose.

He called all three girls outside, telling them that he wanted to talk to them about a school related issue, but before leaving the room he made sure that the familiar was on his hay bed. It wouldn't do to have the man overhear them through the door so he made sure to close the door and than moved down a little further down the hall way before finally talking to them. Flame followed them his tail held high and his eyes locked on Louise.

"Tabitha, Kirche, and especially you Louise make sure that the familiar doesn't find out the benefits of the rune markings." he told them, seriously.

"But why professor he's my familiar." Louise stated, annoyed.

"Do you remember what he said in the headmaster office, Louise. The man comes from a society that fears magic and you forgot Louise that the familiar runes while they do provide 'benefits' they're also designed to ensure that the familiar can't harm its master. If he finds out that the runes on his hand are doing anything to control his action. He could very well try to harm you." he said, gravely.

He saw that Louise was about to protest but he silenced her and than turned to the other two individuals in the group.

"I want the two of you to also help make sure that the colonel doesn't find out." he told them.

"We will." Kirche answered and Tabitha just nodded at him in reply.

"OK than, I think its time that you all should return to your chambers and get some rest before dinnertime." he said, looking at them. None of them answered but broke off and headed back to there individual rooms. He waited until they all back inside and waited for a good duel more before leaving, just to make sure.

He headed back to the library to finish his research.

* * *

><p>Dinner was quite, student spent their time whispering to each other about the day unexpected turn of events, trying to understand what happened and unwittingly spreading rumors while there teachers barely said a word to each other.<p>

The only interesting sight during the course of dinner were Louise, Kirche, and the girl with blue hair reading a book. The ends of Louise pink hair was seared black; the rest of it looked like it hasn't seen the light of a comb, as for Kirche her hair she could see some hay sticking out of it, and she also spotted a red bump on her forehead. The only normal looking person, of the group, was the blue haired girl. She wasn't overly surprised at the sight considering the history between the two families.

Beside this odd sight, there was nothing else worth noticing. Dinner opened and closed with a few words from Osmond before the teachers and members from the Griffin Knight begin escorting students to there rooms. Of course this meant that it took longer but she was fine with that. It give her some time to consider everything that she'd learnt.

The injuries suffered by Mr. Ventue at the hands of Louise familiar irritated her greatly, to say the least. She was the future queen of her country and Mr. Ventue was her subject. It was her responsibility to protect him from harm and yet she failed him but she be honest she was thankful that the colonel had spared his life.

That aside, there was the problem of the fight itself and dueling with the aftermath. True she'd ordered Osmond to duel with the problem but that was only as far as the academy went, her problem was ensuring that her opponent didn't find out about the fight and if they did it would be to her advantage. In this case, the fact that the familiar held the rank of colonel meant that he was a minor noble at best so it wasn't likely cause any major problems.

The information that the colonel had shared with them of the other hand was priceless information for any of her opponents to get there hands on.

She'd made the decision to marry the emperor for the simply reason that with the revolt in Albion, the hostile attitude of the Gallia King to the south, and Romalia isolated to the south. It left her with little choice but to marry the emperor to coagulated the alliances between there two countries and to ensure her country future.

Unfortunately an side affect of the marriage was the strengthening of her current opponents who were pushing for a crusade to the holy land. They were getting annoying and dangerous political wise so she was resisting them by pointing out that with the current issues with Albion it was unfeasible. However if they were to learn of the existences of the Imperium of Man it would likely swipe enough nobles to force her hand to outright supporting a crusade, never mind the possibility of the Imperium been on another world, all they would have to calm was that the Imperium was on the other side of the holy land and it would be enough for both nobles and commoners to fall behind and support.

Of course, there was also the problem of her reforms and these nobles who opponented it. She sigh, it was almost like she had enemies all over the place and no friends, she told herself.

And now this problem with Louise familiar. The fact alone that she summoned a human being as her familiar meant that she was difference from other magi but how? She didn't have an answer to that question and so the only thing that she could do was hope that Colbert will be able to find the answer.

The man was definitely a commoner there was no doubt about that but he was nothing more than a skilled swordsman, no more no less. A skilled magi could kill him with ease as long as they stayed at range.

The real headache was the revelation that there was the possiblility of Dark Gods and daemon. If what the familiar was saying is true than these dark gods are real but there was no proof at all. She agreed with the church past actions of destorying all evidence of perfounder days in order ti stop the endless wars but it left her wondering what happened to the founders successors. It was a will known fact amidst the members of the royal family that the founders of each family were void users. So what happened to them and why did none of them have void as an element? She tried to find an answer but she found nothing.

Of course, she remind herself there was one more problem.

She took a deep breath, bring her mind to the present. She was standing by the window in her room staring out into the moon painted landscape. They were stained purple for the most part but here and there she could see the natural color of the moons. Red and Blue.

She looked up at the twin moons. They had not changed since her childhood but she had. She felt a tear ran down her cheeks and she quickly wipe it away and reminded herself that she was a princess and future queen. She had to show no emotions, she remind herself, thinking of her father advise as he put it 'emotions only lead to mistakes when you're a ruler.'

He was right. He was right emotions were a weakness for a ruler and her mother was a perfect example of her father words.

She heard someone knock on her door,

"Who is it?"

"It's me Wardes princess there is a message for you from the palace." Wardes said.

"Please bring it in." she commanded.

"Yes, princess."

She heard the door open and close, followed by footsteps.

"What does it say." she asked, without looking away from the window.

"It's about Albion, the royal family has been forced back to the royal palace." Wardes said, after reading the letter.

She felt a tear run down her cheeks.

"Princess is something wrong." Wardes asked.

"No, Wardes. Please remain me tomorrow to see Louise before we leave. I would like to ask her to carry out a task. I would also like you to escort her. I want a detailed report on the familiar and make sure that you learn as much as you can about him." she commanded, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

"Yes, princess." Wardes answered.

"Wardes make sure to enjoy your time with your fiancée." she said, softly.

"I will, princess." Wardes answered before leaving the room. She waited until she heard the door close before turning to the only table in the room, which was right next her. It was awash with light intermixed with the red flame from a single burning candle.

On the table was a single letter written and sealed. She'd written it a few days ago but had not been able to bring herself to trust it to anyone. She couldn't. It was personal and in the wrong hands it could be used against her. When she thought about it was funny that their were only two people in her country that she trusted and they were loyal guard Wardes and her childhood friend Louise. The only person outside her kingdom that she trusted personally was Wales. Here, she thought, she was a ruler who wanted the best for her people but didn't and couldn't trusted them.

It was best to go to sleep, she told herself. It was going to be another long day tomorrow. She turned and headed over to her bed and get in. The bed was soft and warm, almost like..she forced her thoughts to a stop and tired to force her mind to move onto another topic but she failed.

She could taste the salt from her tears, as they ran down her cheeks like a river, interrupted now and than by barely hidden quite coughs of sorrow. She tired to stop the tears but they would not stop, so she surrended and cried of pain and sorrows to esacpe her lips until sleep took her for the night.

Father was right was her last thought of the night, emotions in a ruler was a weakness.

* * *

><p>It was night and the two of them were back in her room. She was sleeping on her bed while he lay on his bed of hay; he didn't mind at all since he'd slept on worst over the years.<p>

Louise that was her name of the individual who'd saved his life, hadn't taken well to his playful conduct towards her fellow student well which she expressed clearly when she returned to her room after talking to there professor by telling him that he would not be having dinner. When he asked why her answer was become the student in question he'd been flirting with was a moral enemy of her family, too use her own words 'that witch with the overblown milk cartons.' It didn't matter to him at as he wasn't in the mood to eat.

So he'd slept the hours away waiting for Louise to return from dinner but thinking about it right now. It was a mistake, as he couldn't sleep now. It was late, Louise was sleeping, and the moons was out and lighting the night sky up including there room. It was a beautiful sight.

According to Kirche he was a familiar of Louise household and expected to service her until the day she'd dead. He had no intention of sticking around that long. The only reason he was still here was become his honor code required that he repay his debt to her.

He didn't have any plans for where or what he wanted to go nor did he have any plans currently. There was little choice available for him to choice from as it was clear from his chat to some of the locals that he was on some backwater planet in the ass-end of the galaxy that has never heard of the Imperium of Man.

He'd tried over and over again to sleep but he failed each time so in the end. He allowed his mind to wander in the hope that it would allow him to finally sleep.

A academy that teaches 'magic' users and a society where these magic users lorded over commoners or none-magical people. It was madness but he'd taken notes on the so call 'noble' he'd defeat today and it confirmed one thing for him whatever this 'magic' it wasn't anything like psyker abilities, his observation was more or less confirmed with when he talked with Kirche.

According to her enlightening explanation of society, here on Halkeginia. Nobles were anyone who can use 'magic' while everyone else was a commoner. There were also five human nations, Gallia to the south, Romalia further south, Germania to the east and north, the largest of the human nations, and finally Albion. He was surprised to learn that Albion was a floating island which lead to him wandering if this 'magic' was some kind of lost tech from the Dark Age of Technology.

Kirche explanation of the difference elements of magic was easy enough to understand but her explanation of 'Willpower' left him confused and doubting his thought that this 'magic' was some kind of lost tech. Anyways, as far as he understood 'Willpower' was like the power parks of a lasgun. Once it was empty you had to recharge it.

She'd also explained that a familiars was a reflection of a magi, Kirche used herself as an explain, her element was fire and so her familiar Flame was also of a fire element just like her. So taking that explanation, what part of him was similar to Louise besides the fact that they were both nobles. He had no special abilities beside his combat experience. So it left him confused.

Well it didn't matter, he was still a harmless man in an universe that didn't care about him at all, he thought, closing his eyes for the twentieth time and hoping that this time it would work. He was right. He did sleep peacefully.

* * *

><p>Later that night after midnight, Fouguet of the Crumbling Earth stood waiting for her guest to return from his patrol of the academy ground. She was here for one reason only, she and her guest worked for the same employer. One of her conditions for this job was that it be done by her alone rather than a team of stumbling fools.<p>

It was this single point that she'd fought for despite the fact that she was been blackmailed into doing this job but she'd accepted because with this job done, she will finally have the money needed to bring her sister out of Albion and ensure that she had a place to stay, where no one will bother her ever again.

This course of action had originally never been seriously considered by her but it had become necessary since that asshole Cromwell found out about her sister. So the appearances of her guest here was either due to chances or meant to be a reminder by Cromwell that his sister life was in his hands.

It was this action that lead to her been disillusioned with her employer cause. She'd been kicked out of the noblest become of the envy of a fool, one her parents had died. She'd stolen from the nobles and given to the poor, while keeping a small amount for herself, so that she could to get revenge on these asshole. In this time, she'd learnt one very important lesson never trust anyone unless you're were a fool or lucky. She wasn't a fool nor was she lucky so she made up for it with talent and brains alone.

So here she was waiting for her guest.

She heard footsteps approaching the room. The door opened and her guest thanked the man before entering his room without even looking back, her guest identity was confirmed, when the door opener mentioned her guest name as he said goodnight.

She waited until her guest had disarmed himself before revealing her present to him. She made sure to keep her ward pointed at the man and the spell she intended to use on the tips of her lips ready to be used.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"How are you doing, my dear Fouguet." the Viscount said, diplomatical.

The Viscount turned around and smiled at her, delightful, before turning back to the task he was busy with.

"I'm here only for the princess and to see my future wife." Wardes said, his voice tired.

She'd never really trusted nor liked the man. She couldn't pin it down a specific reason but she didn't need one when it was her gut that was telling her to that there was something off about the man and since her gut feeling had saved her more often that she had fingers.

"Don't bullshit me, Wardes. This is my last job. What the hell are you doing here? Did that asshole sent you to remind me about the terms of our agreement." she demand, threateningly.

"No." She didn't believe his answer.

"Do you mind doing me a favor?" Wardes said, calmly turning around to face her.

"No," she said.

"It nothing complex my dear Fouguet just don't rob the academy treasury." Wardes said, as if he'd never heard her answer.

"What are you mad? This is my last job." she almost shouted at the Viscount but she managed to keep her voice calm.

"Are you sure or is it because you're been blackmailed?" Wardes said, his voice devoured of emotions before continuing. "I'm aware that you're been blackmailed by our mutual employer but unfortunately due to the events today. The relics which reside in the academy treasury can't be touched by the hands of traitors."

"So you're a double agent for the royal family." she said, smiling sightly but that knowledge changed nothing.

The Viscount looked at her, his face as controlled and unreadable as ever, his posture relaxed, and his arms folded.

The man before her was well know for been a skilled and deadly swordsman not to mention that he was also a noble which made him more dangerous. The fact that he revealed himself as a double agent for the Albion royal family showed that she was right about him, the first time she saw him. It also onces again proved that she couldn't trust anyone.

Cromwell was aware of her sister cottage location and had stationed troops within easy reach of it should she tried to get her out. These men didn't know anything about her sister expect that they were there to ensure her 'well being' as one of these man put it before she ran a knife through his heart.

Maybe the Viscount could help after all he was a double agent.

"You stretch my back and I'll stretch yours." she said. The Viscount smiled at her pleasely before replying.

"What's the favor?"

"I have a sister in Albion. I want you to protect her until I come for her." she told him. He just stared back at her as if she'd said nothing.

"And in return I will not rob the treasury." she said.

"Agreed. Where can I find her?"

She gave him a describe of the location, the cottage, and her sister name before leaving the Viscount room via the window.

* * *

><p>The daemon tongues slowly played it way across it lips, imitating the movements of a starving man own lips. It howl with amusement as the man struggled pointless within it crawls and in answer, it laugh before it licked the man with all it's tongues. Than it was replaced with a smile that slowly crept it way across it lips, as the thought, it meal was almost ready, echoed within it mind.<p>

The man on seeing this smile redoubled it's affect, attempting desperately to escape it hold however it was pointless nor did it help that the man could smell death. As for it, it could taste the countless emotions emitting from the man, the fear, the pain, the suffering, it was all there for him to feel and touch.

The soul within it hands was no psyker, that was sure but it found it odd that it possessed the ability to command the wind. This was odd it had never heard of such an ability, it also found it's the man memories useless the only exception was it knowledge of his own unique ability and these of others.

It seem that it's was there were other more gifted individuals than this fool, mm...so it seem that it has gotten lucky and without another thought, it come to a decision. It will find theses void user and it will consume their soil and take over their body, such power will become his to command and with it, it will come to control this world. Yes this world will be his to do with as it pleases.

But before that, it was going to have itself a little meal.

It refocus all of it eyes on it meal. The man had little to no mental defenses that it didn't even need to try at all, in fact it had been childs play. It was even easier than it's current host, whom mind at least had some training and the will to stop it from outright consuming his soul.

The daemon growl in annoyances at this fact, however that was no longer mattered. What mattered was that these psyker lacked the mental defenses or training at all to resist. The simile on it lips widen at that so it can eat all it can good, it thought, it could live in such a realm. The fact that it couldn't feel the presents of the warp at all, did not matter.

A realm such as this, with psyker with little to know mental defenses against daemons, it meant only one thing for it. It was only to enjoy itself, it will consume their souls to empower itself and this world will become his to command, it thought, with an inhuman howl that caused it meal to stop struggling and look at it, with little of it will left as one of it eyes saw liquid dripping onto the ground.

Yes it's meal was almost ready.

"pleases let me go, founders I didn't do anything wrong." the man desperately asked, fear written as plan as day light in his voice.

"than answer me this, you do not follow the corpse god?" it asked.

"no..I don't. I mean...we...don't." the man answered stuttering with each word. "I will do anything, anything." the finished beging desperately. Yes the meal was almost ready.

"Good." it answered.

The man sigh in relief which lasted for a second before it consumed him and enjoyed the flavor that the man despair and suffering added to the taste of it meal. It had been a long time since it taste such a grand meal.

So with the taste of it meal still fresh in it mouth, it looked out towards the battlefield that repersented the chess game between it and it current host. The battlefield was splattered with the machine of war of the Imperium, disfigure man lay on the mud dying in no man land, and in the far distance it could see the fortified trench lines of it host.

It will not move anything soon, it needed information first before it can act. There was also that other little problem, it could feel that someone else had laid claim to it host recently and it couldn't allow another daemon to take what was rightful. It will crush this other present and than it will consume this man soul and gain control his body.

It howled long and hard directing at the battle lines in front of it. After all, while it had decided that it would wait for now and bid it time, it wouldn't do for it host to forget it right would it? it thought, laughing inhumanely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Zero War - The Long War**

**Ok first am sorry for the delay been busy the last few months since summer with family issues and this fall catching me by surprise with many a essay (Which i hope turned out well). Also on another note, i found myself a new beta reader but he's busy right now and hasn't replied to any of PMs (for a week however i've been informed that he's was more likely to be busy) so this chapter has not been beta read him or her but it has been by me. So if you see any mistakes let me know via review or PM me, this also goes without saying in regards anything that you don't like about the story. **

**Also just one more thing, I'm pretty happy that i've been able to write eight chapters (counting this chapter) and yes i know there aren't the best but still am rather proud of it considering past attempts at writing. So please read and enjoy this new chapter. :D**

**Zero War - Chapter 8**

Louise woke as the first rays of the sun assaulted her eyes and in reaction, she turned around until she face away from it.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes and the first sight she saw was one which frighten her. It was the sight of a man sleeping on the bed of hay meant for her familiar however it did not last.

"Oh right" she thought, relaxing and remembering the events of the day before as her eyes come to rest on the white pillow which her familiar head was resting on. She'd forgotten to take it back after dinner last night. It didn't matter to her, remembering that he was still injured.

Remembering that her familiar was injured, brought the rest of her memories rushing into her still hazely mind.

The man before her was her familiar and a soldier from a distance land, she told herself as memories of her familiar twin explanation yesterday of his own nation flashed through her mind.

The translation spell must have made a mistake she was no fool. It was impossible for the familiar to be from an empire that controlled whole planets. True the world was round, that far she was aware of, but it was just impossible for what the familiar said to be true. In addition, she thought, the man had little evidence to support his claims beside his weird sword.

So clearly whoever was responsible for casting the translation spell on her familiar must have made a mistake so this mistranslation was clearly their fault.

She thought, as her eyes begun to feel heavy.

It was a mistake that had lead to the use of the word "world" rather than "land" however even as this thought occurred to her, a part of her disagreed. This Imperium of Man must be on the other side of the Holy Land, she reasoned, but even so she had a hard time imaging an empire ruled by commoners rather than nobles.

It was impossible, she thought with little conviction.

The man, her familiar, the colonel, had defensed a noble with nothing more than a sword. It was a...impressive display of skill, she admitted but he was still a commoner. The man had even admitted to it without any shame.

But the question of 'how' echoed in her mind. The man had only a sword on him so how did he beat an experienced noble like Mr. Venture?

She carefully studied her familiar peaceful and relaxed facial features, in the hopes of finding an answer, until her eyes begin to feel tired and slowly made their journey downwards. However when her eyes come to rest on the colonel sword, it was only then that she realized it was a short sword.

A short sword.

He defensed Mr. Venture with nothing more than a short sword, she thought shocked.

A short sword was used primary as an auxiliary sword but it was also known to be used in close quarters and in doors fighting. Short swords were not actively used by magi swordsman in the five nations, according to Wardes.

The thought of Wardes, reminded her of the warmth she'd felt when he embraced her within his firm and well muscled arms. She smiled at the memory, her cheeks turning red, as her mind cleared the last of the morning haze.

She stood up and yawned, noticing that the sun was higher in the sky, before she made her way to her chest at the end of her bed. She opened it without another thought and found herself staring, stupidly, at neatly folded cloth, until she remembered that she had asked her maid to pack her belongs because she planned to leave the academy. Did she still plan too? She asked herself turning to look at her familiar.

She was interrupted before she could come to a decision when someone knock on the door. The pattern sounded familiar, she thought, so without thinking she made her way to the door and opened it. A woman wearing a lovely dress with a hood stood there silently staring at her. She recognized the dress but she couldn't quite place it from where.

"Don't you remember our secret knock?" the hooded figure asked her, amused. The figure removed the hood and stepped into her room.

"You can close the door now, Louise and stop staring at me." the princess said, teasingly.

She barely managed to close the door before she realized who it was, she brushed embarrassed that she did not recognized her childhood friend. She quickly cast a quick check at her familiar before looking back at the princess. Good she thought, her familiar was still asleep.

"I never imaged that we would be reunited again under this kind of situation, Louise, but our fate is never ours to control now is it Louise?" the princess asked, playfully with a grin on her face. She couldn't move her month nor even think. The princess could see the shock in her face; she smiled at childhood friend and continued until she stood behind her.

"It's nostalgic, this feeling Louise Francoise of old times when we weren't trapped like a bird in a cage. Isn't it?" the princess turned around and looked at her friend, the frozen shocked face still painted on her face, the princess smiled. "Yes, Louise it has been a long time since we've seen each other."

"Princess!" she finally managed to say, joyfully, rushing the princess until she come to a stop close to her childhood friend. The princess reach out for her and in turn she took hold of her hand, the warmth of the princess hand was enough to bring buried memories of her childhood rushing to the forefront of her mind.

"Louise!" the princess said, with a smile on her face and warmth in her tone.

"It is really very nostalgic, seeing you again, princess after all these years." she said, softly. "I always wanted to see you princess, again." she admitted, even quieter to the point that the princess barely heard it.

"And I to, Louise I too wanted to see you again but fate has not been kind" Henrietta said, softly with a tears in her eye. The two of them slowly moved closer until their foreheads were touching.

The second turned into minutes, the minutes turned into dozens, and yet the silence was not broke by either of them, as they took comfort in each other presents however it did not least when suddenly Louise break away, kneed, and held her left arm crossed over her chest.

"I, your loyal servant was caught up in the moment of weakness, my princess. I did not act not as I should have princess in your presents. I beg your forgiveness your highness."

"Louise don't be like this we were childhood friends and we'll always be friends no matter what happens" Henrietta said, kindly.

"No, princess. This will not do your highness. This servant has even made you grace your present upon a humble and coarse place like this highness, you are too kind." Louise said.

"Please do ignore the formalities, after all you're one of the few I can open my heart to and we are friends, are we not?" Henrietta said, looking down at her friend. The princess could see that Louise brush at her words..

She moved closer until she was level with her childhood friend and held Louise hand in her own. "How could I ever forget you Louise Francoise." Henrietta said, fondly.

"I am honored that you still remember me princess." Louise said, firmly. The princess hugged Louise without another word as tears of joy ran down her eyes, Louise joined her too as was unable to stop herself from giving in, tears of joy escape her eyes "It has been too long, Louise my dear friend." Henrietta whispered.

"Do you remember the time we chased butterflies in the palace courtyard..." the princess started.

"...and because we had gotten our clothes covered in mud, we were scolded by the chamberlain, Lord La Porte..." she continued.

"...yes that's right, Louise the two of us were together" the princess finished. The two of them stayed silent for a few moments, enjoying the present of the other and the warmth of each other until it was broken by the princess. "Those were the days, when every day was filled with happiness and without a thought or touch of concern or worry. Passing the time having fun with you." Henrietta said, softly and with a touch of sadness in her voice. "these were the best times Louise."

Louise laughed not noticing her tone at all but rather remembering these memories long buried within her memory. "There was that one time when we had puffy cream cakes and we ended up in an quarrel! And every time we had a fight, I would always lose and start cr..." she suddenly come to an stop and coughed loudly "I mean, your highness has never won a fight against me, in any of our fights."

Henrietta laughed at the her reaction and smiled at her, then asked "Do you still remember the incident that we called the 'Siege of Amiens'?"

"I do remember your highness that was when we were playing 'palace game' fighting over who would wear the dress and who was going to be the princess too!" she said, cheerfully.

"It was at that moment at the most crucial moment that I managed to hit you in your stomach!" Henrietta said, laughing. Louise soon joined in with her as she remembered the moment. The two of them know that it was a dumb thing to be laughing at but they did not care as they drained themselves free of all their concerns, worry, pains, and sorrows.

Their laughter lasted for a good while however it was the princess who was the first to regain control of herself, who then waited until her friend stopped before asking her question. "How have you been, my dear friend"

"It been good." she lied. The princess let it be.

"That is good to hear, Louise."

"You haven't changed, Louise. That is good to hear indeed." the princess paused for a moment, as various emotions crossed her face until it settled on a smile. "I honestly envy you, Louise. The freedom you have must be great." Henrietta whispered softly, that it was only by change that Louise heard her.

"Is there something wrong your highness?" she asked.

"I'm due to be married soon..."

"Congratulation, princess." she said, happily but it didn't last long as she saw that her words did not cheer the princess.

"Louise can you deliver a letter to prince Wales of Albion, please?" Henrietta asked, bleeding, pulling a letter from a hidden pocket on her dress.

Louise without another word broke away from the princess and kneed down her left hand crossed over her chest.

"Your highness, this servant and third daughter of the Valliere family, Louise Francoise, is not just your friend but also your faithful subject. I will never forget my eternal loyalty to you, my princess and future queen." she said.

"Then you will do it, Louise?" Henrietta said her tone hopeful.

"Yes princess I will deliver this letter to the princes." she said, raising and taking the letter.

"Thank you, Louise for agreeing and remembering our past friendship. Know also that you will forever have my favor from now until death, my dear beloved childhood friend." Henrietta said, each word dipping with heartfelt emotions.

"Thank you, Louise. Now I have to leave as there is business that I must duel with." the princess said, turning around but she stopped half way and turned back to face her. "When you're ready to leave Wardes is waiting outside in the front ready to escort you on your journey." The princess turned once more and left her room, as for her, closing the door behind her.

She had frozen at the mention of her future husband name, Wardes. He was here, when? How? She didn't remember seeing Wardes at all, so how was he here? No, wait when did he get here, did he arrive last night?

Wait, never mind, she thought pushing the thought out of her mind, despite her strong desire to go and see Warde. She had to deal with a few things first, like checking on her handmaid and making sure that she was fine, she thought, suppressing the memory of the events yesterday. She maybe a commoner but she was her handmaid and in turn she was a member of the Valliere household and no one else had any right to touch her without her permission.

She decide to first check on her first before going to the main hall for a quick breakfast before heading out to meet Wardes out at the front of the academy. OK, time to…she stop as she realized that she was wearing her night dress.

Oh better change, she thought embarrassed.

As she changed, she remembered that she should ask her maid to pack a bag for her trip, in the case that she wasn't too injured.

Done dressing she looked at her familiar, for one last time, before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>A little while later, Siesta woke and immediately felt pain while struggling to breath. She tried to ignore the pain but it was a too much for her however she suppressed the need to grunt or cry helplessly.<p>

This was the price that she paid for leaving the farm, she'd learnt over the years working for various nobles. So the injuries that she'd suffered yesterday wasn't the first time that she'd been harmed by a noble that she worked for.

So waking up to pain wasn't anything new to her however the pain in her chest was new. The water magi, Ms. Goon, had told her that the pain will fade in time, it just needed time to heal but was this pain normal? she thought, as she took another painful breath.

She signed, remembering her parents warning when she told them of her desire to leave the village to earn enough money to help raise her siblings. Of course, this wasn't the only reason but these wasn't important.

She was the elders of her siblings, so she was there watching and helping her parents raise her and her siblings. True, it meant more hands to help with work around the house and in the field but it also meant more mouths to feed and it was especially hard to do when they encountered a poor harvest.

This was why she sent most of her earning home and only kept a little for her.

She took a deep breath and slowly sat up on her bed, as her body squealed in pain but it was her chest that hurt the most, for a moment she felt a spell of dizziness and weakness wash over her.

But she had work to do, she told herself, work. So taking another breath of pain, she forced herself to stand, only to quickly seat down again when she felt her legs weaken and begin to give out from under her. Come on, she thought, this isn't the worst that you've had to endure. So she closed her eye and focused on home, her family, before finally saying a quick prayer to the emperor.

"God-emperor of mankind pass onto me strength to endure the pain and suffering in which I endure for the greatness of mankind. May your wisdom guide me and bring fortune to my family."

Opening her eyes, she stood again and pushed the pain to the edge of her mind, when she heard someone knock on her door thinking that it was just another commoner. She made her way to the door and opened it only to be surprised by the person she saw. It was her boss.

"However can I help you, master" she finally said, after a long pause.

"Good, I see Ms. Goon has done a good job healing all of your injuries, are you well enough to work?"

"Yes, I am, master." She said, despite the pain.

"Then please pack a bag for me and bring some food for my familiar in my room, where he's still asleep. Once the colonel has finished his meal you're to bring both the bag and the colonel to the front of academy where I or Viscount Wardes will be waiting."

"Yes, master." She answered, as Louise turned to leave her behind.

She took another painful breath before heading back into her room to clean herself up before doing as her boss commanded however a quick spell of dizziness hit her as she was about to open the door and she crashed into it but she caught herself before she hit the ground.

She took a deep breath of pain and forced herself to her feet. She had a duty to do and nothing will stop her from doing, she thought, as she opened the door and headed off to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>While Louise headed off to breakfast at the main hall captain Wardes waited at the front of the academy, sleeping lightly in a high-wheeled cart (wagon kind off) which he'd borrowed from the academy.<p>

The captain had woken early in the morning before sunrise, despite only getting an hour or two of sleeping during the night. The captain spent the early hours doing two things, waking the princess and reminding her of her desire to talk to her childhood friend and the second, getting everything ready for the mission to Albion.

Speed, he knew, was required of him in this mission but he didn't care really, after all, he would be traveling with a injured man. The captain chuckled softly to himself before he allowed his mind to drift off into the realm of dreams.

* * *

><p>Siesta entered her room holding a tray of food for her boss familiar only to find the man stretching and exercising with his back towards her. Her eyes momentarily hung studying the familiar firm muscles before she finally noted the countless scared that crisscross his body before successfully tearing her eyes away and remind herself that she had a duty to do.<p>

She closed the door behind before finally making her way to the only table in the room and placed the tray there and turned to wait until the familiar was done so that she could inform him of their boss desire.

The ignored her until he finally noticed her standing there beside the table, her eyes cast down.

Lin paused for a moment in confusion, unsure of where she'd seen the girl face before, as seconds turned into minutes. It took a while before it finally clicked to him. It was the maid from the fight but wait what was she doing here, shouldn't she be resting? But of course, he told himself he should have been surprised, he thought.

He smiled as he made his way towards her and seeing her keep her eyes downcast at all time rather than looking up. A sight that he'd seen before on dozens of worlds, it was a sign of respect and submission but he'd never like it nor cared for it.

"My lord, I see that you're feeling better." the maid said.

huh so they follow this tradition where only only nobles can be bestow the rank of colonel, he thought with distaste. It made sense to him but after his encounter yesterday he wasn't expecting much of the local nobility.

"I'm feeling fine, thank you." he said, nodding at her. He studied her carefully and quickly noticed the lack of features on her face that should carefully illustrate the punishment that she suffered yesterday however he found none despite carefully examining her face.

The only signs of injuries that he could find was that her breaths were uneven, almost as if she was short of breath...without another thought he closed the distance between them and placed his hand on her shoulder and placed the other on her chest.

Siesta immediately tried to defend herself, which include almost screaming, but she stopped herself when her chest erupted in pain and grunted in pain instant.

"What the hell are you doing moving around?" Lin said, his voice almost shouting.

"I...I'm..duty." she answered, saying each word with difficulty.

Lin almost hands tighten to the point that Siesta was frighten at the strength she could feel behind them but she was surprised when suddenly, he released her and pointed.

"Sit."

She did as she was told. The noble followed soon after her.

"You shouldn't be moving around, you're still injured." Lin said, sitting down opposite her.

She said nothing in answer.

Lin glared at the maid, admitting to herself that the maid was bravo for working with broken ribs and enduring the pain but it was stupid of her. There was no telling if she'd broken only one or more, if it was the latter than she would be dying a painful death.

She can't die. He refused to let her die. She can't die. A voice whispered softly in his mind. She can't die.

"Here eat" he said, pushing the food towards her. The maid made no move towards to it but he said nothing and waited.

Was this is another example of lost dark age of technology that the locals was just calling magic out of ignores or was this just another sign of heresy? he thought, as his hold on his short sword tighten. No he reminded himself, he'd been over this carefully, none of the abilities that the locals matched any psyker abilities which he knew off from his experiences with the guard.

But he wasn't sure, he'd had no proof, only observation.

A few minutes passed by before Siesta finally had the courage to say anything however she was cut off before she was even able to say two words.

"Don't worry about me, maid. I'm a soldier before I'm a noble. I've survived worse than not eating my breakfast. Now eat." he said, using his command voice.

The maid slowly moved towards the food and slowly ate while the colonel watched her every move. Siesta made sure to keep her eyes downcast as she ate.

"So what's your name, maid?" Lin asked, once Siesta was done with her meal.

"My name is Siesta Marcellus, I'm Ms. Valliere handmaid my lord."

"Good to meet you, Ms. Marcellus. My name is Colonel Marcus Lin of the Imperium of Man.." she did not hear the rest of the colonel words as the words Imperium of Man echoed in her mind. It couldn't be, she thought, fighting to stay put in her place.

It couldn't be true, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be true, the thought repeated over and over again in her mind.

Lin noticed the sudden fear appear in her eyes, at his mentioning of of the Imperial Guard but he did not push the issue. He simply filed it away for future discussion.

"So now that you're done, I assume that there was something else that our little master wanted?" he asked.

"She wanted me to pack a bag for her and bring it with you to the front of the academy, where we are to meet with her and her fiance, Viscount Wardes." she said, once she shook her mind clear however her newest discovery wasn't far from her mind.

"So Ms Marcellus, why don't we get to work on it." Lin said, chuckling with a knowing smile. "So why don't you let me lead the way." Lin said, standing up and gripping her hand.

The maid tried to protest but she was silenced with a command. The colonel chuckled loudly and evilly as they existed the room, leaving the leftover foot on the table and Louise clothes neatly folded in her chest.

Lin let the maid lead him while he followed still attached to her arm however he was mindful of her chest, it was clear from her laboring breaths that her ribs were broken. The girl was lucky to be alive, he thought, remembering others who hadn't be so lucky and spent moments in unbearable pain.

They made their way down stairs of stone until they made contact with the ground and from there she lead them through the empty hallways.

It was a nice and quiet walk that was with the exception with what he assumed was the main hall, judging by the amount of noise coming out of it. The students were more than likely honoring that princess that he'd meet yesterday at the headmaster office, he thought, as he exename the architecture around him.

There was nothing of interest about it, as far as he could tell, so he turned his attention to Siesta, the handmaid was leading him to the front of the academy. The thought of running had occurred to him, the moment existed the main gate but he'd crushed any further thought along this line. He had a debt to repay and he will repay it.

The maid was beautiful, there was no doubt in his mind, her black smooth shoulder length hair nimbly swing back and forth as she walked, soft youthful features, and her bounty chest, if she had been born a noble. Man would be chasing her in droves.

The thought, brought a sad smile to his face, before it disappeared hidden away within. However it seem that he was too slow as he saw Siesta looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, confused. He smiled at her and answered.

"You remind me of someone." he said with a laugh "So are we almost at the front of the academy, Siesta?"

"Yes my lord, we're approaching the main gate now." she said, nodding at the direction in front of them his eyes followed seeing the gate. Despite his attempt to hide it from himself, he couldn't help but feel relief that he would be leaving this academy behind, even it wasn't a psyker academy as he first assume it was.

No human should be able to do what these nobles do, it was inhuman. Only monsters had such power and he'd seen monsters before whether they be human, mutant, xeno filth, or heretics.

The two of them passed under the main gate, where two guards were stationed. They greeted them and let them passed by without any trouble. Of course, as with any other commoner in the galaxy he heard them whisper to each other, no doubt in regards to the closeness between him and Siesta. A quick look at Siesta showed her unease.

He answered with nothing more than a smile on his own, there was little else that he can do beside ensuring that Siesta didn't fall over. She was still injured. He did a quick check in front of them and saw only a cart, it looked more like a wagon to him, but it didn't really matter to him.

He began walking towards the cart, with Siesta still attached to his arm and following, but as they approached the cart, the person in it sat up. This must be the Viscount they were meant to meet with, he thought, judging by the clothes the man was wearing.

"So you're Viscount Wardes?" he asked, as the two of met each other eyes.

"Yes, I'm Viscount Wardes or you just call me Captain Wardes." Wardes said, smiling at him however he didn't miss the lack of one within the man eyes. They were cold. They were the eyes of man like him. So the Viscount has seen the battlefield, he thought.

"Colonel Marcus Lin of the Imperial Guard and this here is Siesta Marcellus, Ms. Valliere handmaid." he said, letting go of the maid arm.

"Nice to you, my lord." Siesta said, bowing to the Viscount.

Wardes nodded to her in answer before turning to face him.

"So when will my fiance be arriving here I'm assuming that she sent you here first while she's doing something else?"

"Yes, my lord. She asked me to bring breakfast to Lord Lin and then bring him to the front of the academy to you. She said that she will meet us here." Siesta said, eyes downcast.

"So then it's just us until Louise arrives" Wardes said, looking at the maid before turning to face the colonel. He smiled at the colonel but the man simply stared at him, his eyes examining him head to toe.

So this man was coming with them on this errand huh so the princess was worried for the safety of her childhood friend. It was cute and illustrate to him the dept of their friendship but it was also sign that she was been cautious.

So the little princess was wasn't a complete fool.

"It would seem so" he answering, turning to face Siesta.

"lady's first" he said, bowing to her. Siesta cheeks turned red, her eyes flew between the captain and the colonel unsure of what to do.

Wardes didn't stop the maid, as it seem that she'd finally made up her mind and climbed up into the cart and sat somewhere behind him. He didn't care for her however he did care as the soldier climbed onto the cart.

He suppressed his desire to harass the colonel and turned to check the gate. Surprise, surprise, there was his future wife coming right now, he thought, smiling.

Louise had left the main hall, as soon as breakfast was over, which meant when the princess was finished with her breakfast. There was little that they could do but communicate the odd smile, look, here and their. It was enough for her. It made her feel happy and upbeat again after so long, to actually feel like she had a friend. That she wasn't alone.

Thus the reason she felt confident today, it was the best that she'd felt in weeks if not months, now that she thought about it. This was no surprise to her considering that she'd been dreading the familiar ritual.

Everything she'd been doing since she enrolled in the academy was to for that single moment in time, when she would finally summon a familiar of her own and prove that she was a magi. And prove she did, she thought with confidence.

She'd been able to summon a familiar, even if he was but a commoner, it was still a familiar and the proof was the runes on his hands.

Exiting the main gate, she saw no horses only a single cart with her handmaid sitting in the back with a man standing at the end, looking at her. Wait wasn't that the man from yesterday at the headmaster office?

She blushed, could this be Wardes? he looks so different, she thought, maybe she should head...no she firmly decide and so with the blush still evidence on her face. She begun a slow walk towards the captain but as she got closer her heart beat faster and faster, the closer she got to him.

"Morning, captain." she began, nervous "I sorry that I didn't recognize you yesterday..."

Wardes smiled at her and she blushed even more in return. "Don't worry, my dear beloved Louise, it wasn't the appropriate time to be introducing ourselves." he said, before he hang her.

"It's been too long my dear Louise." he said, releasing her. "Well everything is ready, my dear..."

"Don't call, my dear in public please" Louise managed to whisper softly.

Wardes looked at her, seeing a face that reminded him of his childhood, before he crushed it completely. "Then Louise it is, my dear." He saw anger replace her blush momentarily as he called her "my dear" again and smiled at her.

"So now that everything is ready, let get going Louise, we have a message to deliver" he said, cheerfully and lead Louise to the front of the cart where the driver sat and lifted her up before climbing up after her.

Sitting down and taking the reins in his hands, he noticed that Louise had yet to seat down. "Is there something wrong Louise?"

Louise looked at her handmaid before her eyes come to rest on her familiar who was sleeping from the look of it. Why were they taking a cart, wouldn't be faster if they ride horses? but her familiar was injured, she reminded herself but still why was her handmaid with...

"She was called a whole by that fool yesterday" Lin said, casually without even turning to face her from his sleeping position "It wouldn't be smart to leave her in the academy, someone may get a the wrong idea."

"But..I didn't want her to come along, she isn't necessary to the mission for the princess" she protested.

"Really, do you know how to cook?"

"I..." she turn red in embarrassment "...I don't need to, Wardes knows how to cook right?" she said, turning to face him.

"I don't."

"But..." she looked at her Wardes helplessly.

"I have my subordinations cook for me"

"See, you need her" Lin said matter of factly "Now I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

Louise tried to say something but couldn't come up with anything so she just sat down and leaned on Wardes. She so wanted to hit her familiar, she condam herself for forgetting to bring something to throw at her familiar.

"Don't worry, Louise the real reason she's coming is because she's still injured and considering the rumors I've heard from your fellow students and teachers. It's a good thing that she's coming with us, she'll be safer with us." Wardes whispered softly to Louise.

"But she'd been healed by Ms. Goon. She can't be still injured" she said, natively. He grinned in answer at her foolishness.

"Not all wounds can be healed by magic, Louise" Wardes said, causing Louise to look up at him and see a sad grin on his face before it disappeared under a smile but she could still see in his eyes. "She's been injured in her chest, her ribs were likely broken by Mr. Venture yesterday so she's suffering each time she breaths. It will take awhile for them to heal maybe a month or two, so be easy on her."

She didn't know that and it was reasonable now that she thought about it. She lean onto Wardes arm and said "We should get going."

Wardes smiled at her and with a bump the journey begin on her secret mission from the princess.

* * *

><p>Back at the academy, the Griffin Knight stood at guard and alert for any signs of trouble but there was none until noon, when students were down at the main hall with the princess having lunch. Wardes had stationed two Knight's outside outside the infirmary heard the sound of someone crying softly to herself.<p>

Concerned the two knight's entered the infirmary, weapons and magic ready for the worst. It could be nothing, thought Gerald, but it could also be a trip. She turned to her friend and fellow soldier, Hermione, and signaled on the count of three.

One.

Two.

THREE.

Hermione casted a wind spell that slammed the double opens, the hinges almost breaking, from the force of the spell while she launched herself through the wide open door expecting trouble but what she found was just the school water magi by herself.

She was sitting on the bed opposite the injured man, staring at the teacher who'd lost to the commoner yesterday. She lowered her sword, just a little and carefully approached the water magi and until she was standing within a step of her.

She carefully checked her surrounding for any signs of enemies but she found none however she didn't relax just yet. She nodded back her friend, who had remained at the door covering her back, while she turned to face the water magi.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, as she brought her sword up in front of her.

"He's dead" the water magi nodding at the direction of the injured familiar "I've just woke up myself to check on him and I found him like this, dead. I've checked everything, there nothing wrong with him, his wounds are healed and his bone is recovering nicely so there should be no reason that he's dead." Ms. Goon finished, frustrating.

It was another blow but she will not hide. Thus the reason for the tears that ran down her eyes, There were tears of sorrow for Mr. Venture, she may have not liked the man, but he was still a human being. Another life. That she couldn't save.

The Knight beside her hadn't said anything since she'd finished her statement but she didn't care. There had to a reason that Ms. Venture died, she thought, it couldn't be from the injuries that been inflicted by the soldier yesterday.

So what could it be? she asked herself, no it was the wrong time to thinking about, she thought, pushing the thought to the back of her mind.

"Dam" said Gerald, as she turned to double check the room for any signs of entrance but after carefully triple checking her surrounding. She finally let her guard down and returned her sword to its rightful place beside her.

"Hermione" she said, turning to face her friend "It's clear"

"We'll have to inform the headmaster." she heard the water magi tell her "He wanted to talk to Mr. Venture before he return to duty."

"We'll inform the headmaster after we checked double checked this room. A man can't die for no reason at all." she said.

"True" the water magi said.

She ignored the water magi answer and left her where she was while she got down to work. First she had to inform the sub-captain and then get some of the more experienced members to join her, she may have missed something, she thought, getting to work.

* * *

><p>The headmaster was in a good mood and so was Henrietta, he thought, thinking of the past when the princess was still young. She changed over the years ever so slightly, it weren't observe, but he could tell. The key was watching the minor details, for example, while the princess good mood was enough to fool everyone else it didn't fool him. He could see the touch of fear and concern within her eyes.<p>

But he said nothing about it.

The morning passed and went and finally lunch come, where the tour of the academy ended. So that was the reason, he and the princess was here in his office. She was smiling again, he thought, watching the princess talking on and on without evening stopping. It was a change from yesterday.

He know from experience that it wouldn't least. It never does.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in" Henrietta said, cheerfully and without worry.

The door opened and in came Ms. Longueville, she didn't waste any time before headed over to his side and whispered softly into his ear. It was so sexy, he thought, but anymore thoughts along this line died as he heard what she said.

He shouldn't have been surprised, he thought.

"thank you for Ms. Longueville for letting me know, please tell Ms. Goon to double check the body for any signs of what could have killed the fool" he whispered back, making sure to keep his voice low.

Ms. Longueville turned and headed out of his office, closing the door behind her. When he turned to look at the princess, it was with difficulty. She was still so young and she had to deal with this mass, this was one kind that he hated about getting old.

"We have a problem, Ms. Venture is dead" he said, plainly.

Henrietta did a double take, unsure if the headmaster was being serious, but he was. All signs of cheerfulness disappeared from her face and was replaced with a pair of cold eyes.

"How?" the princess asked.

"Ms. Goon found him dead just recently, there was no signs of how he died or of anyone breaking into the infirmary. I've asked Ms. Longueville to ask Ms. Goon to double check the body" he said, studying her face.

"Dam it" Henrietta said, as her eyebrows knitted togather "There's nothing that we can do about it, what's past is past."

So young, too young.

"What did you do about the incident? with his death, his family will be demanding an explanation and you know the Venture family. If they don't like it they will cause you trouble." Henrietta said, coldly.

"That will not be a problem in itself, the rank of colonel is only given to these of noble birth. Ms. Valliere familiar is a noble, a minor one at that, but still a noble. They will simply be informed that he died from injuries suffered during a duel again another noble." he said.

The princess simply stared at him, as her mind considered what had been said.

"That can work, just make sure that they don't find out that he was Ms. Valliere familiar. It will only made the situation worse" she said.

"I will not..." he never got to finish as the door was slammed opened and Colbert entered the office short of breath, his eyes red from lack of sleep, and his clothes in a complete mass. Colbert looked up and tried to speak but was quickly silence as he tried to breath.

The Knights outside the office was glaring at the sight of Colbert threadly but a nod from the princess and they relaxed but there eyes remained on Colbert until the door was closed.

"Do you mind closing the door, Colbert and telling us why you're here?" Henrietta said. The professor closed the door and then made his way to the nearest chair and sat down.

"I stayed up all night in the library, princess, looking through everything we have and I managed to find out why Louise summoned a human" Colbert said, between deep breaths "It took quite a bit of time but I managed to find it."

"It?" he said, curiously .

"Yes it, the runes on the colonel hands. There's no doubt in my mind, that he's a Gandalfr and that Ms. Valliere is a void magi." Colbert finished.

Colbert words hit the two of them hard but the princess was the hardest hit as she remembered a memory long buried in her memories. She turned green and fall onto all fours before finally throw up her lunch.

It couldn't be, it couldn't be, it couldn't be, it couldn't be, the words echoed over and over again within her mind. It just couldn't be. Father wouldn't do such a thing.

So this meant that Louise, her friend was the rightful ruler of Tristain but father wouldn't do such a thing. He wouldn't. But he would, she thought, remembering other memories of her own father and detail that she'd learnt about his rule once she'd grown up.

He must have a reason for doing what he did, she thought, thinking of a particular memory. Once where a woman with pink hair and features that was similar to her childhood friend was arguing with her father about something while she stood in the corner afraid.

The memory had been buried by her mind over the years due to its nature but thinking about it now who was this woman? If Colbert was right and Louise was indeed a void magi then could her father have done...

"SUB-CAPTAIN HINO get the carriage ready. We're leaving right now." she shouted, with authority.

"You can't princess, we still have dinner and the final closing event of your tour. You can't leave yet" Osmond said.

The princess stared at the old man as he'd done something wrong before she finally calm down a enough to think clearly. That's right she still had the rest of today to consider, she thought, looking at the remains of her lunch.

The sub-captain choice that moment to enter the office.

"Princess"

"Sub-captain sent a message to the palace to my mother telling her that i want to meet with her as soon as i get back." she said and before she finally stood up. "I'm sorry about the floor Osmond, forgive me."

"All is forgiven princess."

"Thank you, I'll be in my room if you want to see me about anything, Osmond" she said, bowing at the headmaster before she turned to leave the office leaving the two of them to stare at each other as the door was closed.


	9. Chapter 9

**It finally here, sorry about the wait, I was busy during break and so didn't get the chance to write. I was finally able to do so a few weeks ago after new years and so since then I've been working on it, I finished this chapter last week but held on to posting because let face it, I suck at proof reading my own work. So that said, a few things that should be mentioned first. First as always if you see any mistakes or typos let me know via pm or review and I will fix it. **

**The second thing, i have found someone to beta read for me however I am having him start from the beginning of this story. The new guy has already beta read the first chapter last week and I should have it up within a week. So yes this chapter hasn't been beta read by someone else only by me so going back to the first point, if you see any mistakes let me know and I will fix it. **

**Lastly, as you will found out reading this chapter that their is a war in the east, let me say this right now, our pointy ear friends aren't only fighting humans and these of you who have read Zero no familiar, the novel or manga, should know that there is a reason that they own the holy land rather then stay in the west. So you should be able to see what our pointy eared friends are trying and failing to do. **

**Ok so that is everything out of the way and so please read and enjoy chapter 9. oh right before I forgot, I am also willing to answer any question anyone has in regards to the story just pm me and I will answer them. **

**Zero War - The Long War version 1.5. **

Zero War - The Long War Chapter 9

The sight of the city was no surprise to him, the building were low and barely off the ground as he stared out the back of the wagon/cart or whatever they called it on this world. It was the one thing, he hated, no two worlds within the Imperium ever called an object the same thing especially true in the case of feudal worlds, where it society hadn't been fully integrated with the rest of the Imperium.

The wagon, cart or whatever it was called was an example of this, there were two types of designs which he was familiar with. The first design was a simple four wheeled vehicle while the second design was half the length and had only two wheels. The wagon that they were using was the full length one.

It was a pain at times and in some cases situation dangerous but it also illustrated to him the sheer size of the Imperium of Man.

Moments passed and he did nothing but let his mind wander as his body rocked about to the rhythm of the moving wagon. Up and down, up and down, up and down, he went over and over again in a seemingly endless cycle as the wagon crawl alone at the pace of a crippled man.

It didn't bother him that much since he'd ridden in worst. He'd spent the whole trip more or less asleep and quiet. The maid stayed close to the little boss; however he'd caught her looking at his direction, throughout the trip before quickly looking away.

As for his little master and her future husband, they mostly kept to themselves, mostly being the key word. The little master couldn't stop herself from bothering him nor his need to remind her that he was still recovering was enough to get her to leave him alone. He sigh.

That aside, he had his own problems, like determining whether this magic was some kind of lost technology from the dark age of technology or nothing but heresy.

The fact that only nobles had the ability to use magic meant that it was likely only passed from generation to generation by blood...but was it heresy? It could be, he thought, uncertainty. Everything he'd learnt so far about this planet, screamed dark age of technology level technology however another voice inside answered screaming the word "HERESY"

It was nothing more than heresy that should be crushed, to save these unknowing fools, it scream, as his eyes swept the packed streets before him. These fools don't know anything they walk these streets and let these...these heretics rule over them.

He was almost completely sure that this magic wasn't heresy but he had no proof. No evidences... Frak this shit, he cursed, unable to make up his mind.

The city continued to pass by him painfully slow, as the wagon made its way through the city. People walked by him, busy with their own lives, chatting, going, or whatever they were doing while he watch ideally by from his position within the wagon, going up and down, up and down.

The history of his home was filled with war and death, just as any other world within the enormous domain of the Imperium. It history could be summarized as a story of a strong man been slowly beaten into the ground by everyone else until the only thing left was a paranoid old man.

And paranoid his family and in turn the government of his world was, where once stood an example of human decency now stood a paranoid police state that didn't think twice about killing the very people they were meant to protect. It was not what his ancestors had desired when they found themselves unable to leave the system but it was all justified because since the fall, everything had gone to hell.

The galaxy was no longer at peace, it was at war and there was no sight of it ending anytime soon.

The Eldar Empire, which was mentioned by his family records, was shattered, the orks were now unchecked and spending, chaos infected every inch of the galaxy, and the knowledge which man had gathered and learnt over the millenniums were lost. The little the Imperium had recovered was but a faction of that which had being lost.

He was about to go on with his musing when he was interrupted by the sound of someone gasping in awe at something. It was enough to make him sit up and look at the sight in question. It was an airship with no balloon above it, not the most odd sight that he'd seen, which meant that it was likely flying due to one or more anti-gravity generator on board.

The sight was nothing really surprising to him, as he'd seen nobles and the rare planet use anti-gravity technology to enable seagoing ships to fly. He'd never found the idea that appealing nor understood why anyone would ever build such an abomination.

Siesta gasps once more in awe at the sight of at the airship, moving slowly across the city sky to and from the port atop of the city.

"It your first time here?" he asked the maid, seating up.

"Ah, no my lord..." Siesta paused for a moment, interrupted by pain "It's just that to see them in the air, floating, it...beautiful."

He didn't say anything but simply let her watch while his eyes wandered elsewhere, namely at the sight of his little master back.

The shoulders were held high, as expected of someone of her birth, and her back was straight.

"So where are we going?" he asked, the pair, as the wagon passed people.

"We've heading to a weapon's shop, Louise wants to buy you a sword to go with your short sword before we head to the inn for the night." Wardes said, over his shoulders.

"Huh"

"I can't have my familiar going about protecting me with only a side arm" Louise said, without turning around to look at him.

"So that is why we're here, There's a weapons shop around here, it's on the way to the inn" Wardes said, turning his head sideways to look at him before turning to the front.

"And founders me, look there it is" Wardes said innocently, pointing at the store.

The shop in question was a block ahead of them, made of wood and stone, and only two stories high. On the front he could see a sign hanging on it with whatever the language that this planet used written on them in large black letters with what appeared to be a simple drawing of a sword and shield beside them.

The shop also had a large window, where he could see weapons being displayed. It wasn't hidden away in an alleyway, so that was good count towards the business being legal, he thought, before checking out the rest of the street.

The road was paved with stone, in an uneven pattern of squares, the building built of wood and stone, and all of it primitive expect for the fact that nobles had inhuman ability and the present of anti-gravity technology being used to allow the ships above to fly.

The wagon come to the stop and the captain helped the little master down to the ground while he made his own way off the wagon.

"Stay" said Wardes, kindly, looking at Siesta, "and please look after the wagon, you're still injured" before handing the reins to the horses. She took them with a nod and seat down at where they were sitting only moments before.

Louise stared at her future husband, her eyes knitting together annoyed, before turning away to face the shop and lead the way towards it. Wardes followed behind and he too followed close with a grin at the sight.

The inside of the store was like many which he'd seen across the galaxy, sword and shields were on display on all sides, in one fashion or another, whether they hung on the walls or lay on tables beautifully displayed and arranged.

The shop owner was young and his eyes were glazed with ambition. He saw a smirk cross the boy face for a moment, which leads to him assuming that the boy recognized that the little master was a noble from the clothes she was wearing.

"I'm a noble and I want a sword for my familiar to wield and make sure that it is one fitting for one of his status" Louise said.

He didn't bother standing still and listening to her talk with the owner and took the chance to check out the weapons on display by starting on the front of the shop and slowly made his way to the back of the shop where Louise, Wardes, and the owner was talking.

"What kind of blade do you have in mind, my lady?" the boy said.

"I don't know anything about swords, so just anything appropriate for him will do" she said, bad move little master, he thought, with a chuckle.

"Very well, then my lady, please leave everything to me" the owner said, bowing before he turned around and disappeared through a door into the back of the shop.

The captain and the little master waited while he continued examining the weapons on display. They weren't the most impressive set of swords and shield which he'd ever see. They were repetitive, dull, and of poor quality but he kept looking out of practice.

Shop like these often got lucky and managed to get their hands on some rather unique items, he thought, as he heard the sound of movement to his right.

It could only be the store owner.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, my lady, this here is an exquisitely decorated rapier" the man said.

"It's pretty" Louise said, her eyes glowing in awe at the finely decorated blade, the handle was lined with gold and silver but it was rather thin.

"It's a beautiful blade but it looks rather thin and breakable" Louise said.

"It's a rather popular design with the nobility right now" the owner said.

"Popular?" she said, confused.

"Yes my lady, latently the noblest have been buying them to arm their own servants and these type of swords have been the most popular type that have chosen, not to mention it's a pretty and a well-designed weapon" the owner said, with a smile.

"But why?" she said, still confused.

"According to rumors going around the thief known as the Fouquet the Crumbing Earth has entered the country, and so all the nobles are getting ready just in case."

"They call the thief Fouquet the Crumbing Dirt because whenever she hits a place, she will always turn the walls into dirt allowing her to bypass many of the traditional defenses in place for more normal thieves" the owner said, explaining.

Lin paused at the mentioning of the infamous thief and her ability,

"Really? Than in that case, I want a larger sword?" she declared.

"Larger sword?" the owner said confused.

"Yes, a larger sword, you said that she could turn the walls into dirt right so that means that she much be a noble right?" Louise said, annoyed.

"Right.." the owner said thinking it over carefully before seeing a perfect chance at really earning some extra money "...than I have the perfect blade for you my lady"

The owner turned about to head off once more to the back to get a new blade while Louise waited at the front of the shop.

The mentioning of the thief had almost frozen him into a complete standstill with his hand around his wife weapon tightening until they turned white.

Anymore further thought along this line was derailed as his eyes come to rest on a blade with a symbol that he'd never thought of seeing again. It was the double headed eagle of the Imperium of Man, engraved into the handle of a somewhat rust blade.

That was impossible, he thought. He blinked and opened his eye but there it was still there in front of him.

He reached for the sword and took it from the box of rusted weapons. The blade was about the length of a long sword and fully engraved with the markings of one that belonged to the Imperium.

"This here is the finest blade in my shop" the owner said, presenting the weapon to Louise "The blade was forged by the hands of Germanian Lord Spee and will cut through iron like butter." Said the shop owner, presenting the blade, which he brought from the rear of his shop, to Louise.

For a moment she was amaze at the appearances of the blade but it was quickly replaced with a frown.

"How much is the blade?" she asked, dead pinned with suspense.

"3000 new gold" the owner said, smiling.

She was no fool that was too much. She was about to answer, when it occurred to her that maybe having the input of someone who has more experience with weapons, actually help her. So she turned to face her husband only to see him looking elsewhere, following the direction he was looking. She found herself looking at her familiar, who was studying a rusted sword.

"I think he's found the weapon that he wants." said Wardes, looking down at her with a smile.

"But it a rusted sw..." she never finished.

"I know but rust can be cleaned off with some work so it's not a complete loss." Wardes said.

"Colonel, what are you doing?" she asked.

The question knocked him of his musing and brought him back to reality.

"I'll take this blade." he said, without a thought, turning around to face them and allowing all of them to take a good look at the blade.

She was about to object however she stop herself and reminded herself that he was a swordsman, a soldier from a distance empire. She didn't really know anything about weapons but her future husband did know more about sword then she, she thought, looking at the one that hung loosely on his side.

"We'll take it" she said.

The smile on the owner face dropped by the wayward side. Yes true, he often played nobles for fool so he could make a little extra money but this was an unforeseen development.

Two noblest willing to listen to a commoner and they didn't want even want any of his more decent blade, they wanted one which he was about to throw out.

"It's not worth anything I was about to throw them out alongside with these other blades in the box that you found." the owner said, honestly.

"Then it's free, we'll take it." Louise said, turning around to begun to walk out of the shop, without giving the shop owner a chance to reply.

Lin followed afterwards with no trouble, as for Wardes, he watched his future wife until she'd left the shop completely before turning to the owner and dropping a bag with 300 new gold inside it before following.

The shop owner was left completely in a state of shock at how the situation conclude, but why would they want to buy a worthless blade such as...suddenly he remembered the blade in question. After all, he was a merchant. He made sure that he knew all of his merchandise, even the worthless ones.

And that particular weapon was one that he had brought from a fellow merchant from Germania, who according to him that he'd brought from a friend who was the easternmost borders of Germania. He remembered this because he paid rapid attention to each word since he knew little about that region of Germania. In addition, a little extra knowledge wouldn't hurt right? There was no telling what could happen in the future.

When he'd pressed the man for more detail, he told him, that the region of the Germania border that the merchant had brought the weapon from was its southernmost region where Germania shared it border with the Holy Land, to the east, the foreboding Montagne Sacrée mountain range to the south, and beyond them the nation of Frontière.

The fellow merchant, going on, explain that according to his friend. He'd obtain it by crossing the Montagne Sacrée mountain range to Frontière during the summer, with some help, which was insane the man admitted before warning his friend that freezing wasn't the only thing he and his hired help had to deal with to survive the crossing.

Going on the man explain that Frontière was at war against the elves, when he'd arrived. At which point, his friends finally get to the real meat of the story. With the state of war, that the country, was in it made obtaining the goods he wanted for trade easier. The only problem occurred when the man discovered that the weapons that the Frontière military wasn't exactly the same as these used at home. This, of course, happened for yet another stupid reason, curiosity.

The problem started with a simple question, what weapons were the Frontièren using against the elves? To find the answer, the man managed to get a demonstration of them which ended predictable with the man on his way to meet a contact at the frontlines.

His friend, friend explained, in an attempt to justify his foolishness, that it was risk he felt was acceptable. The muskets and cannons, been used by the Frontièren, had longer range and better accuracy than any weapons he had seen used by the Germania military. Musket and cannon shells actually flew straight so that there was no need for mass volleys fire.

Once more predictable, not long after arriving at the fort and meeting his contact, the elves attacked.

It was madness, the man said descripting the scene, the elves attacked by air. It was a nightmare, there was fire and smoke everywhere, the sky was barely visibly. The sound of cannons going off, followed by the high pitch shrill that rung the man eardrum, each minute the battle went on threaten to drive the man insane as he closed both ears in a vain attempt to drown out the sound.

It didn't help that on top of this, magic from both the elves and the Frontièren mage flew back and forth between the two foes. The roars of the elven dragons were also present adding their voices to the music of the battlefield.

The man admitted, to his friend, that he was so frightened that he hadn't being able to move an inch throughout the fight.

Anyways, to cut the story the battle turned out to be nothing more than a minor skirmish, according to his contact, which left the fort heavily damaged but repairable while the elves managed to pull out leaving behind the corpses of dead dragons.

It was here that the contact explained that, he had free rein to take whatever he could get his hands on and leave before leaving, since they will get replacement shipments in a day or so. The man took anything and everything that he found, which included the sword.

The man ending his story told his friend, that once he was alone that night he tested the weapon and like the muskets and canons. It was no disappointment. The blade cut through wood and stone clean like a babe ass.

If the Frontièren had better weapons than anyone else what the hell were the five nations doing playing with primitive muskets that still needed to fire in mass volleys to even hit anything.

If he had access to any of these types of hardware he would be drowning in new gold, he sigh. He'd been foolish enough to throw the sword out, when he found that it was just a normal sword but he hadn't considered the chance that it was a magic sword. He should have thought of it first, he thought damning himself for the mistake, but he didn't.

It was so clear right now, thinking, about it. It was a magic sword created by a noble. Whoever could have created it...huh luckily for his friend that he'd kept it hidden or else he may not have made it back because clearly belonged to a noble.

He'd never wanted this life but he was good at his job and like other man. He had his own goals and his own desires that he chased after and that sword was the ticket. He just needed back, fit it up, and sell it.

Well no matter, he thought with a grin, there was a few people who own him favors in this city.

* * *

><p>A little later as they arrived the inn, where they would be staying they were met with a familiar sight, at the door.<p>

It was the sight of a girl reading a book, a pair of knockers that would turn a man into a child, and a boy holding a rose. Louise immediately felt like turning and going elsewhere but that wouldn't do in front of Wardes, so she continued onwards and doing her best to hide her reaction as the cart got closer to the inn.

"So, so, here you are my little zero." Kirche said, with a cheerful smile and her usual boastful tone, as the cart pulled up to the entrance to the inn.

Louise said, nothing as the Wagon was brought to a stop and she was helped off the wagon by Wardes.

"Louise, if you don't mind could you head into the Inn and book a room for everyone, I'll be in later tonight" Wardes said, looking down at her from atop the wagon.

"Where are you doing?" Louise asked, with slight touch of concern in her tone.

"I'll head to the port and book our tickets for tomorrow after I take the wagon to a stable for the night" Wardes said, sitting down again and taking the reins in his hands again.

"Ok, I'll see you later tonight then" Louise said, with a blush.

Wardes smiled at her before heading in the empty wagon leaving Louise behind with her "friends", handmaid, and her familiar.

"This is the place, where we are staying at?" Lin asked, looking at the two story wooden inn.

"Yes" Louise said, simply, hiding her own disgust at using the same inn as commoners.

"And the reason, why?" Kirche ask, not bothering to show her own disgust at the state of the building. It wasn't the best but it would do.

"Because Captain Wardes said so and this is where we're staying tonight" she said, using her best imitation of her mother voice waiting for anyone to answer, she lead the way into the inn and head towards the front desk to book a room.

As for the peanut gallery, Lin was the first one to follow, who was then followed by the rest shortly. By the time that they caught up with Louise, the rooms were booked, and Louise had turned around to face them.

"Took you long enough" Louise glaring at them "I've asked for food for everyone so follow me"

Louise lead the way and they once more followed her until they were all seated at the same table in the main hall of the inn, alongside other members of the city.

"And now we wait for the food" Guiche said, nervously looking at the colonel.

No one said anything in answer, as Lin once more found himself seating with Kirche, Tabitha reading her book, and Louise staring off into space. Thus leaving him with nothing to do,

nothing to do, he thought, staring at the colonel, and remembering the details of his talk with Kirche. He was noble yet the man didn't appear or look like one. The first sign of a beard could be seen growing on the man chin, giving him a rough appearance, which was equally matched by his outright flirting in public in front of commoners.

The man didn't even pay attention to the fact that others in the room were staring at them. Looking over at Louise, he saw that she was still staring off into space and Tabitha was reading her book.

And he was here doing nothing, true he could always be his usual self, but ever since the fight at the academy courtyard. He'd been finding it hard to even keep the rose with him.

He felt like crushing it but he didn't. He couldn't as would do nothing but leave him unarm.

A commoner noble facing down another noble able to perform magic without any fear in him. It frighten him, no it sent chill down his spine, at the simple thought of it, and it also reminded him of another truth which he never wanted to think about.

He was a coward at heart, despite been born into a family with a long military history.

So why was he here? Why did he insist on coming with Kirche and Tabitha on this journey following Louise, Captain Wardes, the Colonel, and the maid, he thought, looking at each of them before his eyes finally come to rest on the maid, Siesta, if he remember her name right. Who was setting with them at the table, an unusual sight, but it seem that Louise didn't mind.

Nor did he really, to be honest, even his father chased after commoner women, when possible. He just didn't do it in public where people could see him. It was out right shameful but he shouldn't be one talking.

He was simply trying to distract himself from the fact, that he was a coward, he knew it.

So why did he come here?

It was these eyes, he realized, they showed no fear in them, no hesitations, no second thought in them. It was the eyes which could only belong to a soldier. A man who had seen death countless times on the battlefield. These eyes, his father, had told him when he was still a child were eyes he had once thought that he wanted.

He'd been foolish enough back then to idolizes the life of a soldier when in fact; he never had the nervous or the guts to make that dream a reality. He'd realize this simple truth about himself once he'd grown up and started at the academy. .

But after seeing these eyes, he just couldn't bring himself to separate from the familiar, he thought, rolling his free hands into a harden fist that turn white quickly.

Looking up to study the colonel, as he flirted with Kirche, as if nothing happen with any regard to his surroundings.

The man was everything that he was not. A soldier.

"Is there anything wrong?" Louise asked, turning to look at Guiche.

"No...No nothing wrong." Guiche said shaking his hand and turning to look elsewhere but she wasn't fooled. She could see that something was worrying him and it had to with her familiar with the way, he kept looking at him out of the corner of his eyes.

It wasn't her problem, she thought, turning around to check the door and hoping to see Wardes but he wasn't there. She wasn't concerned, she told herself, she wasn't one single bit concerned at all. At all, she thought worried, and turn again and again to stare at the main entrances to the inn.

However she did not see him at all.

"Don't worry" said Tabitha, without looking away from her book.

She turned around immediately and stared at her, waiting for more but it was not forthcoming. She was about to answer when she saw commoners approaching with food and heading for their table. The commoners were two girls, she saw, both with black hair and beauty.

"Good evening my ladies and gentlemen, here is the food that you ordered, its hot roasted Poulet and Pomme de terre and for drinks De cidre de pomme. Both are the best we have in the inn." the commoner said, smiling cheerfully at her "So eat up and enjoy your stay"

"Thanks you,,," Lin said, breaking off from Kirche with ease and looking at the commoner nodding. It was returned right before the girl paused in surprise as she recognized a familiar face.

"Siesta is that you?" Jessica said, looking at the handmaid who was staring at her surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?" Siesta asked, shocked at the sight.

"I'm working here with father, we moved from Albion as soon as the trouble started and we've been here for half a year now." Jessica said, with a sign "and it's being a busy year setting up shop here and trying to earn a living."

"So this is your place?" Siesta asked, taking a deep breath of pain.

"Yes it is, so tell me what brings you here to our fine establishment" Jessica said, playfully, looking at the rest of the occupants of the table.

"Oh right..." Siesta said, standing up and immediately gasped in pain at the action.

"Sit down, Siesta there no need to be on formal with us here at the table beside you're still injured." said Lin.

Jessica face was immediately overcome with concern at the mentioning of Siesta injury that she placed the plates on the table and move to be by her side.

"It's nothing major, just a broken rib. It will heal in a month or so until then she will have to take it easy." Lin said, reaching for the plates and gave one to each person at the table.

"So she will be fine, then?" Jessica said, from Siesta side.

"Yes, she will be fine." Lin said, nodding at her before turning to his own plate of food and started to eat.

Kirche smiled at the girl before turning to her own food to start eating. She watched from the corner of her eyes as Siesta and Jessica caught up with each other while the other commoner got back to work.

The food pretty good, she thought, the spice was just about right and in addition, it had a layer of honey on top everything bringing a sweet taste to the food. She should keep it in mind.

And to think that she almost missed this! If it wasn't for Tabitha familiar and her talent for using her magic in creative way, she would have never had the chance to follow Louise as she went on her own little mission for the princess.

In addition she would have never gotten this chance to talk with Louise familiar again so soon. The man was the most interesting person that she'd run into latently, no more correctly, he was the most interesting person she'd run into since she'd transferred over from the academy in Germania.

He was a man, no a soldier, with experience to back up his words. And in addition, he known how to flirt with the opposite sex flawlessly without making the same mistake that she often did, which was evident with the her boat load of seekers back at the academy.

He know the art and had plenty of experience at it, despite his rather young age, for a colonel in command of his own regiment. Well, she thought, sadly a former colonel in command of his own regiment, now he was just a colonel with no troops to command and now a familiar of her family traditional enemy.

Of course, there were other reason why she was here but that they wasn't important right now, she thought, turning to look at the colonel, who was just finishing his food.

"That was quick" she said, looking over the familiar empty plate.

"You have to eat quickly on the battlefield to stay alive beside I've never been once to take my time eating." Lin said, pushing his plate to the center of the table.

"So does that mean that you're also quick in bed?" Kirche asked, with an evil laugh at the end, which made everyone turn red expect Lin who grinned in answer and about to answer when he was cut off by Louise.

"This isn't the right place for that kind of talk." Louise said, blushing.

Kirche laughed at the sight before finally turning to face Lin, with no sight of mischief in her eyes.

"I noticed when we arrive that you have a new sword with you." Kirche asked, curiosity looking at the colonel.

"It's a rare sword from home" Lin said, taking hold of the sword.

"Wait but its rusted" Guiche said.

"It doesn't matter" Lin said, taking hold of the hilt and carefully moved it until lay vertically before he begin to examine the blade hilt looking for the power pack on the weapon at the bottom of the weapon. It was well hidden and protected so that it wasn't easily damaged during combat inside the hilt.

He was familiar with the general design and built of a power weapons because his family was one of the few in Domum to own one. As a child, he'd spent time with his father in overseeing the repairs for them and had a chance of seeing up close how to fix them. Well ok, fixing wasn't really what he was but he was able to learn the more basic part to a power weapon and what to check for if it wasn't working right. In this case, it was the power source.

Pulling it out, to the awe of these watching him, and examine it carefully. It was a long thin cylinder shaped piece and from the look of it, it was out of power and hadn't been changed at all. Well that was easily fixed.

And so with that thought, he returned it inside and looked up to see faces that were looking at him surprised and shocked.

"What was that?" Jessica asked, surprised.

"The power pack for the sword." Lin said.

"A...power pack?" Louise said.

"You wouldn't understand your world is still too primitive to have any idea what I'm talking about." Lin said, dismissively.

"Primitive?" Louise said her tone raised.

"Primitive?" Tabitha said, her tone interested at his choice of words.

"Yes primitive, your world still use melee weapons as your main means of combat." Lin said, looking at her.

"What?" Louise said, her tone heated "but with that sword, clearly your empire is just as primitive so you have no right to call us primitive."

Lin stared at her without blinking and slowly repeated one word.

"Primitive"

In response, Louise eyes glowed with anger but she said nothing, considering her surroundings.

"So if you consider sword primitive, what would you consider to be advance?" Kirche said, interested.

"Do you have any autoguns?" Lin asked, turning to look at her.

"Autoguns?" Kirche repeated confused at the term.

"Right sorry, my mistake, I mean weapons that shoot metal balls or bullet?" Lin said.

"Oh I see, you mean muskets?" Kirche said, looking at him.

"I guess if that is what you call it on this world." Lin said.

Jessica face knitted in confusion at his use of the word world rather than land until she made the connection in her mind however none of the nobles noticed her reaction or the look she gave Siesta, who nodded side to side in answer.

"But they worthless" said Guiche, joining into the conversion.

"What?" Guiche answered, as everyone stared at him "Anyways, my family been in the military for generations, I should know that these muskets are worthless."

"Yes, Guiche does have the point" Kirche said "However the Germania military use them in massive numbers in battle because they are still inaccurate and unlikely to hit anything in front of them."

"I can see why your man died, colonel" Guiche said, carelessly without thinking and it was a mistake.

Looking at the colonel, he could saw nothing more than a pair of very cold eyes, lit with murder. A quick look at his hands, showed them turning white with anger and shaking.

Kirche step in before anything happened.

"Hey, come on" she said, grabbing the colonel arm and smiling at him. "Why don't you tell us what makes this sword so special"

Lin looked away from the boy with extreme reluctances and answered the question.

"It's a power weapon, able to cut through anything." Lin said, glaring at the Guiche who did his best hide his own reaction of fear from showing but failed as his eyes betrayed him.

"It can cut through anything?" Louise said, suspense and looking at the weapon on the table before saying. "If it could then why didn't the merchant know about it?"

"That because it didn't have power." Lin said, taking the weapon from the table returning it to his side beside the table.

"Oh ok" Louise said, doubtful, and eating the last bit of her food.

"So I think it's about time that we head to our beds for the night" Lin said, as his eyes scanned everyone present and seeing that they had finished their food.

"Yes, I think so too" Kirche said, pulling on Lin arm and moving closer to whisper in his ear when she was suddenly stopped by Louise.

"What do you think you're planning, you cow?" Louise said, her eyes narrowing.

"Nothing" Kirche said, innocently. "Nothing at all"

"huh...as if I believe you Kirche" Louise said, with a smile as she stood up from the table.

* * *

><p>"Really now, booked us into separate rooms? So why is it that you're the only one sharing a room with two men" Kirche said, teasingly at Louise as she stood at the door to her own room for the night.<p>

"Why don't you mind your business" Louise said, annoyed and blushing. Louise open the door, the colonel followed shortly afterwards after saying goodnight to her. She return it in kind before turning to open her own door for her and Tabitha, who had informed her that she didn't want to sleep alone tonight.

The colonel will not been staying with Louise for the night, there would be no way that the Captain Wardes would even approve of another man sleeping in the same room as his future wife, she thought, as she enter the room and saw that it contained a single large bed and barely anything else.

"No that means we can have some fun tonight?" she said, in a joking tone and a hint of mischief in her voice.

She didn't get an answer out of her friends, as she close the door behind and turned around to see Tabitha making her way to the window. She could see the sight of a dragon flying high up in the night sky. She shouldn't have been surprised now that she thought about it.

"I'll be back" her friend said before jumping out the window.

Tabitha really did love her familiar and she shouldn't really be surprised, she thought, making her way to the window and closing it but made sure that it wasn't locked.

It seem that coming here wasn't a bad idea. No it was the right idea.

The colonel wasn't a normal noble, which was for sure, true he was only a commoner noble but something else which she'd found interesting about him was the fact that he didn't act like a noble. He was the kind of man that she had always wanted to find and make her own however the colonel wasn't available.

He was a familiar of Louise and her family had always been rivals with them. It was unlikely that her parents would allow her to marry him.

Maybe things will change if the colonel was no longer Louise familiar but that was never going to change in her lifetime.

That said she was certain that the colonel was telling the truth it in regards to where he was coming from, and with this 'power weapon' that the colonel now had in his possession as proof. True it hadn't been used, so she didn't really have proof, however according to the colonel the sword didn't have 'power."

It was a gut feeling, nothing more, she thought, as she begin to get into bed and pulled the cover over her.

She had enough fun today and more will be had tomorrow, she thought, with a smile.

* * *

><p>Later that night, as soon as the door to the inn closed for the night, Jessica checked in with her father to see if he was fine before finally tracking down Siesta, her first cousin. Ever since the time that she'd talk with Siesta during the afternoon, there had been something that man said which had been bugging her.<p>

It was his use of the word 'world" rather than "'land' true it had been used once but she hadn't missed it at all. She was no fool. She had visited Siesta side of the family before and she like them knew of how the family had come to find themselves on Halkeginia.

But while she never believed in the stories completely, in a world with elves and nobles, she learnt to be open minded enough to admit that there may be some truth to them.

She knocked on the door to Siesta room and waited for an answer.

The door opened, bringing a pair of blue eyes, into sight.

"Hey Siesta, how are doing? I've got some food downstairs, want to eat with me?" she said, beaming a wide grin at her...

"Sure" Siesta said, cheerfully, before turning around to face Lin who was sleeping on the wooden floor beside the bed with a blanket over him.

Siesta followed her downstairs in silences until they finally entered the kitchen where two plates on the table and dozens of other plates between them filled with food.

"It's just leftovers, Siesta." she said, pulling out a chair for Siesta.

"Really?" Siesta said, jokingly before she took the first available chair.

"Yes, really." she answered, smiling.

"I'll pray" she said.

Siesta nodded her head in agreement, right before she closed her eyes to pray. She didn't pray often due to the chance that she could be caught by someone else but she still believed in the emperor, just not to the extent that Siesta did.

"Thank you for this food, emperor and please watch over us, always, amen." she said, finishing the prayer, now with the prayer out of the way, The eating started with the two of filling their plates with food which resulted in neither of them saying anything as they gorge everything until there was little left.

She'd forgotten that her cousin could cook.

"You made this yourself, didn't you" Siesta asked, suspense.

"No...Of course not" she said, with a smile.

"Right." Siesta said, grinning at her.

She took another bite of her own cooking.

"So who is that man that was at the table during dinner? Is he your husband?" she asked her tone thick with mischief.

"Oh no" Siesta answered, uneasily, "He's familiar."

"A familiar?" she said, surprised, "but I thought only animals were familiars."

"I thoughts so too but clearly that isn't the case with ." Siesta said.

"Huh, well what I know about familiars." she said, dismissing the thought, however looking at her cousin, she saw that there was more.

"He's...a member of the Imperial Guard..." Siesta said, softly "the armed forces of the Imperium. I was surprised when he first mentioned it and I've been thinking about it on the way here. I wasn't sure until dinner but when he recognized the symbol for the Imperium...It was only then that I was completely sure."

So the man was from the Imperium well it didn't change anything, she thought, unless he brought an army with him nothing was likely to change. One man was not enough to change the world.

"You know, with him been one of the emperor soldiers, the current situation could be taken as..." she begun jokingly.

"Heresy." Siesta said finishing, taking another bite of her food.

"Well, that's a little too strong a word." she said, ignoring the fact that she almost said the same word herself.

Siesta look down at her food, pausing, for moment of pain, as she consider everything that she learnt over the past few day since the colonel had been summoned by her boss.

She took another bite.

"To be honest, Jessica. I know that you know that I'm a firm believer in the god-emperor but I have never wanted the Imperium to ever find Halkeginia." Siesta said quietly, looking down at her food.

"You've heard the stories before; you know what it means once they find us and what they bring. The orks are here already and cause problems everywhere they go, I mean you remember right when we had the ork problem that summer, the nobles had to burn the forests just to make sure that they don't return." Siesta said, looking up at her cousin.

"Yes, yes, I know, I've heard the same stories before" Jessica said "but does it matter? It changes nothing Siesta. Wars happen everywhere, even here on this forgotten little world. You've seen the stars, they're thousands, millions of them alone in the sky above us, what are the chance of the Imperium ever finding Halkeginia?""

"But..." Siesta said.

"I know, I know" Jessica said, with a sigh "Even I wouldn't want to live anyway near the enemies of the Imperium but at least it's built by commoners, right?"

Siesta smiled in reply before she draw another breath in pain. That was true, there was little chance of the Imperium finding Halkeginia any time soon, she thought, finishing the last of her food. The colonel was only one man and one man wasn't enough to change the world.

* * *

><p>A new morning started, bringing with it a new sun and day, rising slowly above the city. And with it, it brought more trouble but that didn't matter yet.<p>

All the people, who mattered, for this journey begin to wake from their slumber, first a silence girl who said little, followed by her dark skin friend, a soldier with a debt to repay, a maid who believed in a foreign god, a little master who didn't believe in herself, a man whom heart was filled with hate, and a coward last of all..

And thus the day begun, when each of them had eaten their breakfast before departing for the port as a group on a new cart that was a little too small to fit everyone. The riders had various reactions to the development, to say the least, ranging from downright awkwardness in the case of a certain blonde haired boy, who found himself between two females, his dream situation, unfortunately, one of them was pointing a wand at him, and the other wasn't interested in him at all but rather the man on the other side.

There was nothing that he could do but endure; the awkward situation that he found himself in and that was what he'd been doing for the last 30 minutes of the journey to the port at the top of the city. However endure, as he may, he found the flirting between Kirche and the colonel annoying.

It was like they were teasing him, by putting him here between Kirche and Tabatha, while Kirche chatted away with the colonel. It was annoying that he didn't get to sit next to the maid. What? Did they not trust him?

"Yes" said Tabatha, without looking away from her book.

What? He thought, surprised at her comment and turning to look at her.

"You're an open book" Tabatha said.

"What?" he said still confused and not understanding what she meant.

"Did you say something, Guiche?" Kirche said, looking over to him.

"Nothing" he answered, and before he know it she was back at it, chatting with the colonel as if nothing happened.

This was annoying but at least it was almost over, he thought, as he recognized the street. It was the main street that lead right up to the port entrances; it hadn't changed that much since last year, he thought, when he and his father passed through the city on the way to visit relatives.

The street was lined with people and cargo waiting to board. A few of the waiting passengers looked at the wagon, curios, but the majority didn't care. It was like this until they arrived at the main entrances to the port, which was manned by soldiers, who stared at them suspense scanning them, with their eyes, before turning away to do likewise to those waiting.

"We've here" Wardes said, out loud so that everyone heard them.

"Finally" cried Kirche, in joy, letting go of the colonel arm so that she could get off however the moment her feet touched the ground, she once more took hold of his arm.

Following suit, he found it very gratifying at not having a wand aim at his gut anymore. Wait a minute doesn't Tabitha have a stuff, he thought, looking at her but was unable to see any sign of it. All he could see was the staff. Well he dropped it and got of the cart.

He saw, Louise shot the three of them, a very annoyed pair of eyes but she did not say anything, as Wardes got of the cart and stood by her side.

"So this is the ship that we'll be taking to Albion?" he asked, eyeing the ship.

"Yes it is" Wardes said, looking at him, before turning to Louise.

"I was able to get us all rooms for the whole trip" Wardes said, before turning and lead the way up the plank onto the ship deck only to come to a stop and so did every single person following him.

"Well, well, well, you finally arrived here" a familiar voice said.

Stepping out from behind Wardes, she found herself looking at the shop owner that they brought her familiar weapon from.

What was he doing here? she thought, looking at the man. He wasn't alone; she saw, there was four men behind him, one holding the ship captain hostage, while the other two stood not far them. The last man stood by the helm covering them all with a bow and arrow. On the other side of the ship stood the rest of the ship crew watching.

"What are you doing here?" Wardes said, moving closer to Louise, making sure that he was close enough to protect her in the case that he needed too.

Kirche pulled out her ward while Tabatha simply raised her stuff and pointed it at the shop owner, Guiche didn't really have to do anything but raise his rose.

"Don't take any unnecessary action or else this poor fool is going to get it" the shop owner said.

Seeing the nobles lower their weapons. "Good, now captain if you don't mind ordering your crew to get the ship underway now before we have any unwanted guest interrupt us."

The captain did as was told and without protest the crew got the ship ready to depart without any delay and thus with a soft kick the ship got underway.

"Now if you don't mind, please drop all your wands in front." the shop owner said.

They all did as told and throw them at the man feet.

"Good" said the shop owner stepping forward "now, let me explain the reason why I'm here, I am a businessman, a poor one at that, but it has come to my recent attention that I've recently just parted with a very unique weapon. And I would like it back." the shop owner said.

"It was worthless, you were about to throw it out." Louise said, irritated.

"Be that as it may, I've had a change of mind. You see, I have my own dreams and goals just like anyone else and so while it may never occur to someone like you, a noble, money is what makes this world spin and without it nothing is possible"

"So I would really like that weapon back" the shop owner said, nodding in the general direction where they stood.

Louise was about to answer when she was stop by Wardes.

"I don't suppose a bribe large enough to meet your estimated value of the weapon would do?" Wardes said, looking at the man.

"No" the man answered, "Don't take me for a fool, captain, oh yes did you think I didn't recognize you?" the man said, with a victorious smile.

"I know about your achievements, captain, and the trail of bodies that you've leave behind. I don't trust you,"

"So then there is nothing else we can do but surrender the weapon" Wardes said, turning to look at the colonel.

"Sorry, colonel but there's nothing I can do." Wardes said his tone apologetically.

"Unfortunately..." Lin begun, walking until he stood in front of the group at which point he slowly draw the power sword until it was pointed at the shop owner direction "...I can't do as you ask since this weapon is Imperium property and so you have no right to demand me to hand it over."

The shop owner face, knitted in confusion, for a moment until it was replaced with a pair of suspense eyes.

"Imperium?"

"The Imperium of Man." Lin said, locking eyes with the shop owner.

The shop owner was about to an answer when he noticed something about the man, which he almost missed. The words that were been spoken by the man didn't completely match the movement of his mouth, which was odd, but of course, he thought remembering where he'd seen something similar happening. The man much have a translation spell cast on him.

So he wasn't a local and it also meant that there was some truth to what the man just said. It was also clear that the man was a commoner, judging by his use of a sword.

"So what is a soldier like yourself, from this Imperium of Man, doing here?" he asked, with a touch of a smile. "But I think, we hold off on that for now, I believe introduces are in order about now? So why don't we all introduce ourselves to each other after all this is a business transaction, right?" he finished, barely amused.

"First, I should start with myself, my name is Denis Madeleina, I'm a merchant from nowhere." he said, turning to wave at his man "And these here are my man. Now I believe it's your turn now."

The foreigner held the sword firmly.

"The name is Colonel Marcus Lin, Imperial Guard, of the Imperium of Man." the foreigner said.

"Ahhh, so commoner you much have plenty of experience on the battlefield to be a nobleman." he said.

"A noble?" Louise whispered, confused.

"Yes, a noble" said Wardes, over his shoulder "A colonel is the lowest rank that a noble can hold in the army and is usually given to minor nobles who have proven themselves worthy."

As soon as Wardes finished, Lin was on the attack.

He wasn't aiming for the shop owner, no, that was only to keep him distracted from his real target. The man who held the sword to the captain head, He passed by the shop owner, leaving him behind, the power weapon aimed at his real target.

There was no hum from the power weapon at all, as the blade passed through the man head, who was holding the ship captain hostage. Without pausing, he ripped the blade out and move on towards his next target, two men to his right, who didn't live long, as they were cut down before they even had a chance to react.

He turned around and headed back towards the shop owner, who was facing him, shock clearly on his face. He quickly gained on him and thrust at the man heart, hoping to take him out but it was deflected downwards and barely by the man.

It throw him off slightly but not by much, the next move was simple bring the weapon up and cut through the nearest limb however it never happened as he soon felt something thin and long penetrate his shoulder and almost made him drop the power weapon.

Damn it, he thought, deflecting a blow from the shop owner before retreating to the ship captain side, switching hands at which point, he heard the soft hum but he wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"DON'T MOVE" he bellowed, pisssed, "Just hand over the sword, commoner, or else you'll soon find yourself with another arrow in you." he demanded.

Just hand it over and it will all be over, he thought furies and glaring at the man.

He should have known better.

Another arrow dig into the commoner, as soon as he moved an inch towards the archer but it didn't stop the commoner. It was inhuman, he thought, watching the wounded man change the archer at the ship helm. The commoner must be mad. It was followed by another but it missed, as the madman took off, closing the distance between him and the archer, a white blare.

Another arrow flew past missing. He heard panic escape the archer throat as the madman changed up the stairs to the helm. Another arrow flew past hitting the madman leg. It was followed by another however this time; it wasn't even close to the commoner or even aimed properly. It flew wild, sailing ever so slowly, as the commoner blade cut him in half clean, both half's of the man crushing to the deck bleeding.

It was too fast, he thought, as countless thoughts cruised through his mind, attempting to find a reason for the display of speed which he'd just witnessed. He'd been barely been able to keep up with the commoner movements.

It was inhuman. It was...it had to be magic, he thought, as his legs shook in fear. There was no way a commoner could ever be a noble. Never! Wait, he thought, he couldn't be just a commoner, right? Only nobles could use magic. The commoners much be a noble, not a commoner.

His thoughts were confirmed when his eyes spotted the soft glow emitting from the madman hand.

"You're no commoner, you're a noble." he said, with dread and slowly backing away from the madman, his pace quickening with each step until he run into someone. It was followed quickly with darkness, as he felt someone hit him over the head and so he lost consciousness soon after.

The last sight that he saw was one of the noble descending the stairs from the helm.

It was...she was speechless. She, Louise, didn't know that a commoner could move at such speeds and yet here she was standing speechless after witnessing a commoner do exactly that. She had only heard of it from others, after the fight at the academy, but to see it in person was unbelievable and impossible.

The colonel continued walking towards them, silently, staring at the shop owner unconscious body lying on Wardes feet.

It was here that she finally noticed the light shining from her familiar, right hand, a soft white glow emitting from it. She didn't know what it and it frightened her. What was her familiar? There was no way that he was only a commoner, she thought, anxiety.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at the white light.

She saw the colonel pause, finally noticing the glow himself. She saw fear slowly creep across her familiar face and finally the man eyes narrowed in anger. She know the problem immediately.

Her anxiety turned into fear and so she freeze for a few seconds as her familiar walked closer bearing a sword wet with blood but it didn't last long as she remembered her mother words "Be like steel." She will not hide. He was her familiar and thus she was responsible for this even if it means her death.

She stepped out from behind Wardes to confront her familiar while he came to a stop opposite her.

"I shouldn't have been surprised" Lin said his voice filled with rage, spitting at Louise feet.

"I wasn't..." she paused, to gather her courage "...I was telling you the truth. That rune is only proof that you're my familiar."

"Really?" Lin answered in a mocking tone. "Then why don't you tell me why I feel stronger now? Why do I feel barely any pain?"

"That's not completely true, Louise." Wardes said.

She wanted to turn around to find out what Wardes meant but she dare not turn away in case the familiar attacked.

"The familiar runes doesn't just significance the familiar and the mage contact but is also designed to protect the mage from the familiar." Wardes said, tieing up the shop owner "You can't harm Louise, no matter what you do."

Lin hands turned white with anger and rage at this revelation.

"Really?" Lin said, changing at Louise.

She didn't move an inch, not a step. She had to be like steel. Strong and able to withstand the pressure, she told herself. She can't run away however it didn't stop the fear creeping into every inch of her as she watched in slow motion as the familiar blood covered blade slowly approached until it come to a rest only inches from her face.

She flinch as she felt warm wet liquid smear against her cheeks. She could tell what it was by the smell alone. She felt sink and her knees weaken shaking in fear and distress.

Recovering, she looked up into the familiar eyes, she saw the hate, rage, and anger within them but she also saw the blade vibrate violently but it moved no closer to her.

"I told you so." Wardes said.

Lin redraw the blade and screamed in rage, his animalistic roar, echoing throughout the boat and into the open air. At the end of which the power sword was withdrawn, by the colonel and aim at his own heart but like before, the sword stopped an inches from his own skin. It refused to move any closer no matter how hard he tried.

In rage, Lin threw the weapon, away at which point, the runes stopped glowing and the pain come rushing back and blood lose forced him into unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry" Louise said softly.

* * *

><p>Later that day when all the days excitement was over, the small group of travelers found themselves back inside Louise room aboard the ship. There was no complains nor laughter from each of the travelers that evening, as the memories of the fight was still fresh in each of their minds.<p>

For one flame mage, while she sympathize with the colonel, she'd long come to terms with this reality. It was another reason that she treated her own familiar with care and love. As for her quiet friend, Tabitha, she simply continued with reading her book while listening to everything.

Guiche set quietly cursing himself for his own failing, as the scenes played over and over in his mind, with the single thought echoing in his mind. He would have never had the guts to do anything close to what the colonel had done. It was insane. It was madness. But it had been done by a commoner, a man with no magic. He was a coward.

Louise herself was currently setting not far from her familiar, who had been cleaned up and his wounds wrapped with cloth by Wardes before he left to check on the ship captain and the crew, leaving Louise behind with her familiar and friends.

She found herself in conflict as her family motto echoed repeatedly over and over again in her mind. There was no confusion in the meaning behind the motto but it was easier said than done, she thought, remembering that she'd almost broke at the academy. She hadn't been like steel than but back then she'd been alone, and now she wasn't.

She wasn't alone, she thought, looking up at her rival, her friend, and Guiche. They may not be friends but they were her fellow travelers on this journey and of course, this is without mentioning her one real support of all and that was her future husband but even with his presents. She had difficulty even coming to terms with recent events especially with the latest revelation in regards to the contact between a mage and their family.

It sicken her to think that she had unknowingly enslaved another human to her and even more so since it all made sense to her own mind. A familiar was nothing more than a animals, and even wild animals, would never desire to leave everything behind to be a mage familiar unwillingly so it make sense that the runes which formalities the contact between the two would ensure the mage safety. She felt like throwing up but she held it in.

Louise musing was interrupted, when the door was opened and closed, it was Wardes.

"The crew and captain are fine..." said Wardes, as he approached the familiar to check on him "...and the shop owner is in the brig." After checking Lin, Wardes took the nearest seat available which was next Louise.

"Will he be fine." she asked, concerned.

"He'll be fine, his wounds are healing already." Wardes said, turning to smile reassuringly at her. "It may be due to the familiar runes between the two of you."

She fell quiet at the mentioning of the familiar runes.

Wardes smiled to reassure her again and hugged her. "Louise he'll be fine."

"It's not that" she said, softly from within the safety of his arms.

"It's the contact between you and the familiar, isn't it?" Wardes said.

She nodded.

"No familiar or mage has ever been able to break a contact once it's established, the only way is through death and I doubt that is what you want." Wardes said, releasing her from his hug.

"But..."

"Louise, my dear, why do you think that each and every noble is taught to love and care for their own familiar? Because we, adults, all know the effect of the contact has on a familiar. I know that with a human familiar it only makes this more apparent but there is nothing you can do but treat him with the same respect that you would treat any other commoner." Wardes said, softly.

"No, I have to treat him as a noble, he's a noble right?" she said, remembering Wardes explanation during the fight.

Wardes smiled. "Yes he is indeed."

"Then it settles It." she said, straightening up, wiping the tears from her eyes, and turned to look up at the others in the room.

"I think we all should go to sleep now." she said.

"No wait..." Guiche said "...there is something I want to talk about It."

"And that is?" Kirche said, with a grin.

"I...it's about the colonel. He can't be your familiar; he's out of his mind." Guiche said, finishing firmly.

Louise paused and turned to glare at Guiche.

"'No he's not" every single pair of eyes turned to stare at Wardes. "What he did was necessary and the only potential solution to the whole mass. He had the speed and skill to perform the deed."

"It doesn't change the fact that he was endangering our lives when he choice to take action rather than simply handing over the worthless sword." Guiche said.

"A simple sword?" Wardes said, irritated, "That weapon isn't some simple sword, it's worth more than your pathetic life, boy."

Guiche flinched a little and took a step back away from the captain. However he wasn't the only who did, Louise also did out of surprise at her future husband response.

"Then I take it, you know what that weapon is." Kirche said.

Wardes cursed himself for letting his anger get the better of himself before answering.

"I've seen similar weapon in my travels before." Wardes said, looking at the girl.

It was here that Louise actually realized something; she didn't know much about Wardes her future husband.

"Guiche set down, you too Wardes" she said, using her imitation of mother commanding voice before finally softening her tone. "Where?" she asked, Wardes.

Wardes considered lying but decide against it.

"I assure that you're aware of how I become a knight of the princess?"

They all nodded in answer.

"Then, you'll not be surprised to learn that I was born in the east in the nation of Frontière."

"Frontière" said Kirche, surprised. "First I've met anyone from that nation."

"Frontière?" Tabitha repeated, confused, having never heard of it.

"It's a nation to the south of Germania east most borders, beside Germania, it's the only other human nation to share a border with the Holy Lands." Kirche said, informing her friend and the other two.

"I come east to find a cure for my mother illness but I wasn't able to find any." Wardes said, bitter. "I would have gone back if I hadn't met you Louise." said Wardes, softly, looking at her with care.

She blushed in reply and failed to hide it despite trying.

"It still doesn't explain how you know of the weapon?" Kirche said, pointing it out.

Wardes smirked before answering. "That because unlike the five nations Frontière has stood far longer and still have the records to prove It."

"That's impossible, the fives nation are the only hu..."

"Shut it." Kirche said, glaring at Guiche. "That's interesting but it still doesn't explain where you have seen such a similar weapon before."

"The colonel was telling the truth, when we were in the headmaster office, Louise." Wardes said, with a sigh. "There is indeed an Imperium of Man."

"You lied to the princess." Louise said, angry and almost screaming.

"I didn't, she never asked about my past or cared too." Wardes said.

"You still lied..." Louise begun but was cut off.

"I never lied to her Louise." Wardes repeated firmly and paused for a moment before going on. ""Let me say it again, she never asked me Lo..."

"Don't lie to me, Wardes, you could have just pointed it out and the princess would..." Louise said, her voice on the edge of screaming...

"Believed me?" Wardes said, irritated and almost hissing the word. "Louise do you remember your history lesson on the subjec

t on how the five nations were established?"

"Well yes..." Louise come to a stop as she remembered her history lessons.

"Then you would know of the endless civil wars soon after the five were nations were established and what the church did to end them." Wardes said.

"Wait, you don't mean..." Louise said, swallowing.

"Yes, everything that the colonel has said is heresy and if the church finds out they will most likely take action which means that it will only end badly for each of us." Wardes paused for a moment. "Obviously the princess trusts you with this knowledge and as for your friends..."

"Don't worry about me or Tabitha, we don't have death wishes." said Kirche with a soft and short laugh. It was followed by a nod from Tabitha.

"Me too." said Guiche, after a moment.

"I think it's time that we all go to sleep." Louise said,

"Yes, I think so too." Kirche said, without protesting. As everyone left the room until only Louise and Wardes remained in the room.

"I'm sorry Louise." Wardes said, sighing. "I really am but..."

"There no need to, Wardes, I understand." Louise said, softly before hugging the captain.

"I forgive you," Louise said. Wardes only answer was to hug her a little harder. However it wasn't enough to completely erase the doubt, the first drop, which begin to form in her mind in regards to the world around her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey sorry for the late chapter but been busy with college, the last few days and it didn't help that I was sick the last few days. so first sorry this is a slow chapter and a set up for the next chapter which will be action filled. **

**And so this chapter hasn't been beta read, sorry about that, because my new beta reader is busy with real life and likely not to be free until summer so around may. sorry about that. **

**That said, as usual see any mistake or areas I need to improve on let me know via pm or review. Thanks for reading and may you enjoy it. :D**

**Zero War - The Long War Chapter 10 version 1.1**

Zero War – The Long War Chapter 10

As the night pass by slowly, a daemon scowled at the sight it found itself staring at, it was the sight of battled fields of mud and dead man. It know that it should have been happier, as it could still taste the flavor of it host soul and the power it felt rushing through it body but it wasn't.

It knew that someone else had led claim on it host that was why it couldn't afford to be over confidence. If it was another daemon, it could be a problem, but considering everything so far, it didn't think it was another daemon because it didn't feel like one, at all.

It watched the remains of it its host soul regrouping and preparing for another battle. It had broken through and crushed the defenses, managing to break through two teaches lines before breaking off his attack. The reason was simple, it felt the other presents, providing aid to its host, giving him the strength to fight and suppressing the pain from his injuries.

It cold and alien, there was no hunger or lust for power behind it. It was just too…emotionless, it thought, and that could only mean one thing. Whatever it was, it meant that it was a thing and things didn't have soul because they weren't alive.

It would have laughed at that fact but it didn't because it couldn't afford to be careless and over confidence now when it was so close to having a body of its own in the real and access to the most powerful magic in this world. So it couldn't let that happen.

It will find out about this thing was and it will remain it, freeing to its own goals.

00

A few days later, the gang found themselves switching boats to another at the hands of pirates, only to find out once they boarded that the new ship wasn't really controlled by pirates. No, rather it belonged to the Albion loyalists and Prince Wales himself who was in command and of course, wearing a disguise with fake hair and a beard.

And as it was expected the standard protocol for meeting a member of the royal family was followed before finally Louise asked to meet the prince alone while the rest of them were directed to their rooms and told to rest until dinner later on. He thought, bored and staring at the night sky.

He'd been out here since the end of dinner, listing to the world around him and thinking about everything that had happen so far. The colonel was from the Imperium of Man, an empire that was mentioned in his family records. The record in question, talked of storms in the heavens so powerful that ships couldn't leave the system. It also mentions that it was a rare ship to survive the storms and emerge but they were always badly damage and functional to an extent.

It was one of these lucky, ships that survived, which brought news of the Imperium and the rest of the galaxy. Of course, man wasn't the only things that they brought, he thought, looking at the stars above him as they shined brightly in a sea of darkness.

The world was quiet and he liked it like this but only in small portions.

"So what did you think of the wine, captain?" a voice said over his shoulder interrupting his musing.

"Not the best, I've drunk but not the worst either" he answered taking a drink from the sack of wine.

"huh…well sorry about that, you know with the rebellion and everything. It's been hard to find some good wine." the voice said, approaching him.

"Well, it doesn't matter, never really cared for it." He said, his tone without a care.

"Really?" the voice said, finally standing next to him.

"Yes, prince" he said, recognizing the owner of the face staring at him. The prince took up position next to him without another word.

Wales stood silently for a moment and stared at the two moons in the open sky with a sad smile on his lips before finally breaking the silence again.

"You know that the princess and I make a promise as children that we would…" Wales stop, unable to continue however no tears left his eyes.

"huh…so that's the reason for the letter" he said, slightly allowing his own bitterness into his voice, before taking another drink. "Well, it doesn't matter, prince. We all have people we love and care for" pausing for a moment before continuing in a soft tone "And sometimes, fate gets in the way" He said finishing and took another drink from the wine sack.

"You mind sharing that drink" Wales asked, holding his hand out. He gave him the sack and watched as the princes took a good long drink from it.

"You read the letter" he asked taking the wine sack back from the prince and took another drink from it.

"Yes, I wasn't surprise at its content" Wales said, holding his hand for the sack. "We both knew this was going to happen. It was always going to happen" he said, taking hold of the sack and drinking from it before continuing on "She has Tristain future to consider and I too have to consider the future of Albion."

"With the rebellion and the loyalist losing?" he stated, matter of factually.

"If death is what awaits me in the future." Wales said, pausing for a moment to take another drink and in doing so finish the sack of wine.

A rather grin outlook, he thought, trying to hide the vicious smirk from appearing on his face. "Don't worry, Prince Wales, I have another here." He said, reaching down and pulling out another sack from the side of his feet and open it before handing it to Wales to drink.

"You seem ready for drinking tonight?" Wales said, taking hold of the new sack of wine.

"That because, Prince, like you I have my own problems." He said. "We all have our problems, you and the princess, and me and missing home." he said, holding his hand out for the sack, he didn't wait long as the prince gave him the wine sack. He took a drink from it.

"Home?" Wales said.

"Home" he repeated, without explaining. "Louise, her friends, and her familiar all remind me of home."

"Familiar?" Wales said, confused.

"The colonel is Louise familiar" he said, looking at the prince watching as his mind made the connections however he didn't voice it however the prince didn't say anything despite his realize nor did he voice anything about it. The prince only visual reaction was a pair of concerned and knowing eyes.

"She summoned him during the annual familiar ritual at the academy."

"And?" Wales asked, interested.

"He said that he was summoned from the other side of the holy land."

"huh" Wales answered.

"The colonel didn't look like he was enjoying himself" Wales said, holding his hand out for the sack and he wasn't disappointed as it was handed to him.

"He only recently learnt of the duties of a familiar and that the runes enforce the mage will on the familiar." He said, pausing. "It wasn't pretty but it was bound to happen."

"I can image." Wales said, taking another drink. "But like you said before, it was bound to happen. All noble learn of this little fact, inevitable, some of us deny the truth, others don't care, there is the few who do care, and of course, there is even the rarer case of these who don't want any." Taking another drink from the sack "But with a human familiar, it only makes it worse."

He didn't say anything in answer but only held his hand out with the sack for the prince.

"How is she taking it?" Wales asked, taking the wine sack and took a drink from it.

"Good, she'll be fine after all, Prince, she is a Valliere" he declared before taking the sack from the prince hands and took another drink. Wales stared at the stars above them, his mind wondering through past memories of his time together with the princess, before finally he push it out of his mind and look down at the passing dark landscape below.

"So prince, how is your father?" he inquired "I haven't seen him in a long time which was years ago."

"He's doing fine but with the state of the country today his heath has gotten worse." Wales said, gloomy.

"Well that's to be expected" he answered, finishing the last of the wine. "It would be nice to see him again, you know, we got along so well last time."

"You mean when the princess visited during the third year you were knighted" Wales said, looking at the knight hurt that the wine was finished.

"Sorry, prince" he said, throwing the empty sack of wine overboard.

"mmm…I'll see about it, captain." Wales said.

"Thank you, prince" he said, with a nod.

Quietness fell again between them the only sound was that of the ship moving slowly through the night sky as the moons shined down on them and the world below.

"Any plans for the future?" he asked, looking at the prince.

"Fight to the end and hope for the best" Wales said, without a second thought.

He smirks at the prince words. It was a far better reaction compared to the boy father.

"Do me a favor, captain, look after the princess and make sure no one ever harms her" Wales said, with steel in his voice.

He nodded in approval at Wales words. It was an improvement from the boy father.

"I think, it about bed time for me, prince. Louise is waiting for me" he said, leaving.

"Good night then" Wales said, watching the captain depart with a sad smile. He had known for the last few years that it was never possible but he'd been foolish enough to entrain the idea this long and yet he kept it alive until he received a letter from her, telling him that it was over. It was stupid.

Well, it didn't matter anymore he no longer had any regrets. The only thing left was return the favor and write her a final letter, he thought, staring at the pink ruby ring on his finger, the ruby of wind, his family heirloom.

He will always love her, even in death.

00

The world past, the flying boat, slowly through the night and within it held two figures staring at each other. One gazing up into the wooden roof whiles the other tensely sit and waited unsure of what to say to the man in front of her.

It had been like this ever since, her familiar, had woken from his slumber in the evening. A world of silence and without words, the atmosphere filled with the emotions of disgrace and anger but as the days passed until only cold facts were left behind. This time gave both nobles a chance to consider everything carefully for the first time since the summoning at the academy.

"I'm no fool I know that this thing isn't…." Lin said, raising his hand with the rune "…caused by wrap magic. I've been here on this world long enough to know that…" Lin pausing, to suppress his own urge to deny this fact, before continuing "…but it doesn't change anything, you have no right to bond another human as a slave, especially a soldier of the Imperium."

"I'm…" begin Louise but she was cut off.

"Don't, if you didn't care you wouldn't have sat there waiting all these days."

Louise didn't answer but neither did Lin say anything as he was waiting for her to say anything.

"I'm sorry" Louise said, finally "I didn't know…but I promise that no matter what happens. I will find a way to free you." She paused for moment to think "I've always wanted to be respected by my peers as a noble, to be able to do magic."

"It's not magic." Lin declared, firmly. Louise didn't contest his words.

"But I didn't, no I never thought that it would lead to this, me enslaving another human being" Louise said, her hands turning into iron balls. "So I'm sorry" she whispered softly.

"I'll have Wardes undo the language spell on you and I will promise you. I will treat you as an equal, a noble." She declared, with steel in her voice. "I should have never been that self-centered, to think that been able do magic was all that ever mattered."

"I know now that isn't what matters. What matters…"

"…is what you do with your life, the decisions you make." Lin finished for her "I still have a debt to repay and I will repay it."

"I'm sorry" Louise whispered ones more and just like that the two of them returned to complete silences, each of thinking about everything that was said and had happened to them both over the last few days, in addition the knowledge that they can both gained during this time.

While deep within the soul of the colonel, a daemon prepared to find out who else had laid claim to it future host and key to finally been able to interact with the rest of the world.

00

Meanwhile back at the Tristain Royal palace, at the highest point, a single tower stood above all else and there within, it walls a queen, with no king, waited to meet her daughter who was currently making her, hastily, way up the stairs to the top of the tower until she stood outside the entrances to the queen room.

Henrietta knocked on the door and then waited for her mother confirmation before opening the door and entered the room. On entering, she saw, that the room only had one window which offered nothing more than a view of darkness with the faint light of torches coming from the city below and the light from the stars above shining down on everyone.

Inside was a single bed, meant for two, a bed side table on the left, and a single table next to the window, covered with paper and everything else that you would expect to find on one.

"How are you doing, mother?" she asked.

"Fine, as could be expected of a lonely widow, daughter" said Marianne. "So how was your visit to the academy? Did you see your childhood friend again? And did you have a good time with her?" the queen finished, smiling at her daughter.

"Yes I did, it was nice seeing her again" she said, smiling and remembering the visit.

"Good" said Marianne looking at her daughter before turning to make her way to the window. "I've always did like her, Louise, she was such a nice little playmate of yours." The queen finished, sweetly as she stared out into the night sky.

"Yes and while there, I remembered something" she said, looking at her mother back.

"What did you remember?"

"It was an old memory, of a woman with pink hair arguing with father, I remember standing in the corner of the room crying" she said, watching the back of her mother, her muscles harden for a moment before they soften again. "Do you remember that day?" she asked.

"I do" said Marianne "It wasn't an important matter really, that woman was just upset that's all and allowed her emotions to get the better of her that day."

"Really" she said, pausing and making her way closer to her mother. "What about the fact that she, the woman in this memory, look almost like Louise"

"Really, that's interesting" said Marianne turning around to face her daughter for a moment before turning back to the empty sky before her, her tone was sweet and innocent.

"Mother don't lie, Louise has summon her familiar and it was a human" she said, her mother answer was only silence as she stared out into the open sky. "You wouldn't know anything about that little detail, now would you mother" she asked, her tone dead serious. She watched her mother muscles tighten again before she finally answered, as she turned around to face her again.

"If everything had workout" said Marianne, firmly "You would have been in possession of power far greater than any of the other five nations."

"The void" she said.

"Yes" Marianne confirm before continuing "the void, we are the last royal family still in possession of it and with that brats death it would pass to you and with it under your control you would have made this nation great."

"Now?" she repeated, with anger in her voice.

"Yes, now, do you think I keep myself here lock 24/7 blind?" said Marianne, angrily. "I still have people loyal to me outside and they provide me with news of the world that I left behind when your father died."

"I know of your marriage to the Germania king" the queen continued, her voice filled with boiling anger "I do not want you, no" the queen paused. "I never wanted you to be forced into marrying another man for the sake of this country. I wanted only the best for you. If you had the power of the void you wouldn't need to marry that Germania commoner to ensure our nation safety."

She didn't say anything, as she was too shocked.

"All you have to do kill her" Marianne said, glaring at her "Do what your father couldn't do and kill her."

"You killed her" she said, shocked.

"No" Marianne said, no longer any angry in her voice. "I simply saw a chance and took it."

"Took it?" she repeated shocked.

Marianne smiled at her foolish little daughter, remembering the past "Yes, a chance, Henrietta, see that woman in your memory is Louise mother. We, like you and her were childhood friends when we were younger." She paused for a moment to gather herself together before continuing on "She was the previous owner of the void before. She died of natural causes when the two of you were younger."

Marianne paused for a moment to look at her daughter and made her way to beside her bed before continuing with her story. "That memory you remember, that night the two of them were arguing about the future of the kingdom, I had already said my piece on the issue and they were the only ones who hadn't decided."

She turned to look at her daughter, frozen shocked face before turning away to stare at the cold stone floor.

"We saw it all coming, the future" she said, as her hands turned into balls of iron filled with anger. "Commoners aren't as powerless as they were when the five nations were first established, you don't have to look any further then the Germania military and their heavy use of musket troops and cannons to know this is true."

"Times were changing and we had to change with it or else everything we have would be lost" she paused for a breath. "And I'm proud of you, Princess Henrietta De Tristain, my beloved child, for seeing a part of that future adopting to it and making the necessary changes" she paused closing her eyes.

"But this is only the beginning, you can't stop not until you find the right balance between the needs of the nobles and commoners if you don't then this country will burn just like Albion is right now." She said, turning to look at her own daughter. "You know that by right, you shouldn't be the princess or I the queen and that your friend should be the ruler but what you haven't learnt yet is the truth about the void and our family."

"It can't be destroyed, its power can only be passed on to the nearest relative related by blood and as such, you can image the amount of trouble that has caused, over the years when it was once common knowledge that the keys to the throne was only a step away all you had to do was kill your sibling or parents." She said, as her hands turned white "So since then, our family has had a long standing agreement with the true royal family of this nation, we lead from the front while they lead from the shadows, unseen and unheard to ensure the future of this great nation."

"But everything change when that madman took over and killed the rightful king of Gallia all these years ago leaving only his daughter and wife alive." She said her tone filled with anger and rage "And started causing problems."

"What problems, King Gaul of Gallia hasn't caused any problems as far as I'm aware off" her daughter answered.

A sneer crossed her lips before it was replaced with a sad smile "So you're not aware that Gaul was responsible for many of our problems? Huh I'm surprised."

"Albion burning is his responsibly and in addition there is the fact that there're traitors in our ranks who are allied with him" she said, with fury. She closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself down.

"That was one of the other issues that they were talking about that night" she said, standing up and look at her daughter. "We all know that what was best for Tristain was a strong Queen but we all disagreed on the method." She paused, to study her daughters face before continuing. "However when she died, I saw a chance and took it."

"You betrayed your friend?" her daughter said.

"Louise was an experience mage and loyal to her nation. She would have done the same thing" she said, her tone uncaring and dry. "If your father had killed her when she was younger, it would have been all yours but he didn't." She said sighing "I would have ordered her death but I don't have any interest in the outside world anymore, not after your father died."

"You betrayed your friend" she heard her daughter repeated again, her voice filled with shock and disbelieve. When she spoke again, she had regain control of herself, little sign of the shock or surprise. "Mother, this is…I…I…I don't know what to say."

"What? Do you think that Louis wouldn't have done the same?" she said, staring at daughter "Wrong, she would have done the same things, if she was in my position because you can't let your emotions get in the way of ensuring the safety of this nation and its people."

She stopped for a moment, to study at her daughter still innocent face.

"I just wanted the best for you, Henrietta, but everything fell apart and then I lost your father which only made things worse. So leave me be, I do not weep for your father only, I've lost more than your father over the years on the throne. He was the last straw."

She paused, holding back tears "And I've had enough of it."

She closed her eyes, pushing back memories that threaten to engulf her, and the only thing that broke her out of her it was the sound of own daughter footsteps.

She watched as her daughter left her behind, closing the door behind, and leaving her alone with her sorrow and pain.

00

Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the Reconquista, stood back watching his army, which now had the Albion Royal Palace surrounded. Everything was going according to plan. Soon it will all over and the first step of the Reconquista plan would be completed.

All he had to was wait for the right moment, when Wardes finally signal his force that he'd killed the prince and his forces will finally attack, he thought, as his eyes come to rest on the palace. It will soon be his and with it control of Albion.

All of it possible, thanks to the help of the Reconquista.


End file.
